17. Istisqāʾ Prayer (Asking for Rain)
١٧۔ كتاب الاستسقاء
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not raise his hands during any supplication except when praying for rain, when he used to raise his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen."
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ
He saw the Messenger of Allah at Ahjar Az-Zait praying for rain and raising his hands, making supplications.
أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ أَحْجَارِ الزَّيْتِ يَسْتَسْقِي وَهُوَ مُقْنِعٌ بِكَفَّيْهِ يَدْعُو
"While we were in the masjid on Friday and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was addressing the people, a man stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, the routes have been cut off, our wealth has been destroyed and prices have gone up. Pray to Allah (SWT) to give us rain.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands in level with his face and said: 'O Allah, give us rain.' By Allah (SWT), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not come down from the minbar before it started to pour with rain, and it rained from that day until the following Friday. Then a man stood up- I do not know if he was the same man who had asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to pray for rain for us or not- and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, the routes have been cut off, and our wealth has been destroyed because there is too much water. Pray to Allah (SWT ) to stop the rain for us.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Allah, around us and not on us, rather on the mountains and places where trees grow.' By Allah, hardly had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoken these words than the clouds split apart (and vanished) until we could not see anything of them.'"
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ بَيْنَا نَحْنُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ النَّاسَ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تَقَطَّعَتِ السُّبُلُ وَهَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ وَأَجْدَبَ الْبِلاَدُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَسْقِيَنَا فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدَيْهِ حِذَاءَ وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا فَوَاللَّهِ مَا نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْمِنْبَرِ حَتَّى أُوسِعْنَا مَطَرًا وَأُمْطِرْنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ الأُخْرَى فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ لاَ أَدْرِي هُوَ الَّذِي قَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْتَسْقِ لَنَا أَمْ لاَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ انْقَطَعَتِ السُّبُلُ وَهَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الْمَاءِ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُمْسِكَ عَنَّا الْمَاءَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَى الْجِبَالِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِذَلِكَ تَمَزَّقَ السَّحَابُ حَتَّى مَا نَرَى مِنْهُ شَيْئًا