15. Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqāʾ)
١٥۔ كتاب الاستسقاء
I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering the Khutba. The man stood in front of Allah's Apostle and said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained." Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering the Friday's Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' " Anas added, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ I raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.
أَنَّ رَجُلاً دَخَلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ مِنْ باب كَانَ وُجَاهَ الْمِنْبَرِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَائِمٌ يَخْطُبُ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكَتِ الْمَوَاشِي وَانْقَطَعَتِ السُّبُلُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ يُغِيثُنَا قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَلاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا نَرَى فِي السَّمَاءِ مِنْ سَحَابٍ وَلاَ قَزَعَةً وَلاَ شَيْئًا وَمَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ سَلْعٍ مِنْ بَيْتٍ وَلاَ دَارٍ قَالَ فَطَلَعَتْ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ سَحَابَةٌ مِثْلُ التُّرْسِ فَلَمَّا تَوَسَّطَتِ السَّمَاءَ انْتَشَرَتْ ثُمَّ أَمْطَرَتْ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا الشَّمْسَ سِتًّا ثُمَّ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْبَابِ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ الْمُقْبِلَةِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَائِمٌ يَخْطُبُ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ وَانْقَطَعَتِ السُّبُلُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكْهَا قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الآكَامِ وَالْجِبَالِ وَالآجَامِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَالأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ قَالَ فَانْقَطَعَتْ وَخَرَجْنَا نَمْشِي فِي الشَّمْسِ قَالَ شَرِيكٌ فَسَأَلْتُ أَنَسًا أَهُوَ الرَّجُلُ الأَوَّلُ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي