His father said: "So and so sent me to ask him how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain (Istisqa')." He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out beseeching and humble, (dressed) in a state of humility. He did not give a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, and he prayed two rak'ahs.'"  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَضَرِّعًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَبَذِّلاً فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ نَحْوَ خُطْبَتِكُمْ هَذِهِ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ  

His father said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (dressed) in a state of humility, beseeching and humble. He sat on the minbar but he did not deliver a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, rather he kept supplicating, beseeching and saying the takbir, and he prayed two rak'ahs as he used to do during the two 'Eids.'"  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ  

Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Kinanah reported: Al-Walid ibn Utbah or (according to the version of Uthman) al-Walid ibn Uqbah, the then governor of Medina, sent me to Ibn Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain offered by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out wearing old clothes in a humble and lowly manner until he reached the place of prayer. He then ascended the pulpit, but he did not deliver the sermon as you deliver (usually). He remained engaged in making supplication, showing humbleness (to Allah) and uttering the takbir (Allah is most great). He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer as done on the 'Id (festival). Abu Dawud said: This is the version of al-Nufail. What is correct is Ibn Utbah's  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُصَلَّى زَادَ عُثْمَانُ فَرَقِيَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا وَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطَبَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ  

"Al-Walid bin Uqbah, the governor of Al-Madinah, sent me to ask Ibn Abbas about how the Messenger of Allah would perform Salat Al-Istisqa. I came to him and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah would go out in modest dress, humbly, imploring, until he reached the Musalla. He would not give this Khutbah of yours, rather, he would continue supplication and imploring saying the Takbir, and pray two Rak'ah, just as he would pray for the Eid.'"  

عَنِ اسْتِسْقَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُصَلَّى فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ  

“One of the chiefs* sent me to Ibn ‘Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain. Ibn ‘Abbas said: ‘What kept him from asking me?’ He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out humbly, walking with a humble and moderate gait, imploring, and he performed two Rak’ah as he used to pray for ‘Eid, but he did not give a sermon like this sermon of yours.’”  

خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَخَشِّعًا مُتَرَسِّلاً مُتَضَرِّعًا فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ وَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ  

His father said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (dressed) in a state of humility, beseeching and humble. He sat on the minbar but he did not deliver a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, rather he kept supplicating, beseeching and saying the takbir, and he prayed two rak'ahs as he used to do during the two 'Eids.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1508)  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مُتَبَذِّلًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ»  

[Machine] About the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the prayer for rain, I came to him and said, "We performed the prayer in the mosque for the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for rain." He said, "No, rather he sent the son of your brother, meaning Al-Walid, who was the governor of the city at that time." Ibn Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out, appearing modest and humble, beseeching Allah. He sat on the pulpit and did not give a sermon like yours, but he remained in supplication, beseeching, and Takbir. He then prayed two Rak'ahs as he used to pray on the two Eids."  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّمَا تَمَارَيْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فِي صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ لَا بَلْ أَرْسَلَ ابْنُ أَخِيكُمْ يَعْنِي الْوَلِيدَ وَهُوَ أَمِيرُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ