Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa)

Sahih al-Bukhari 1014

Narrated by SharikSahih al-Bukhari 1014 — Book 15, Hadith 9

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شَرِيكٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ يَوْمَ جُمُعَةٍ مِنْ بَابٍ كَانَ نَحْوَ دَارِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمٌ يَخْطُبُ، فَاسْتَقْبَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمًا ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ وَانْقَطَعَتِ السُّبُلُ، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ يُغِيثُنَا فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ أَغِثْنَا، اللَّهُمَّ أَغِثْنَا، اللَّهُمَّ أَغِثْنَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَلاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا نَرَى فِي السَّمَاءِ مِنْ سَحَابٍ، وَلاَ قَزَعَةً، وَمَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ سَلْعٍ مِنْ بَيْتٍ وَلاَ دَارٍ‏.‏ قَالَ فَطَلَعَتْ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ سَحَابَةٌ مِثْلُ التُّرْسِ، فَلَمَّا تَوَسَّطَتِ السَّمَاءَ انْتَشَرَتْ ثُمَّ أَمْطَرَتْ، فَلاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا الشَّمْسَ سِتًّا، ثُمَّ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْبَابِ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمٌ يَخْطُبُ، فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ وَانْقَطَعَتِ السُّبُلُ، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكْهَا عَنَّا‏.‏ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا، اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الآكَامِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَبُطُونِ الأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَقْلَعَتْ وَخَرَجْنَا نَمْشِي فِي الشَّمْسِ‏.‏ قَالَ شَرِيكٌ سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ أَهُوَ الرَّجُلُ الأَوَّلُ فَقَالَ مَا أَدْرِي‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Sharik:Anas bin Malik said, "A person entered the Mosque on a Friday through the gate facing the Daril- Qada' and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was standing delivering the Khutba (sermon). The man stood in front of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; please pray to Allah for rain.' So Allah's Messenger (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, there were no clouds in the sky and there was no house or building between us and the mountain of Sila'. Then a big cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila' Mountain) and when it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained. By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. The next Friday, a person entered through the same gate and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was delivering the Friday Khutba and the man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; Please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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.' " Anas added, "The rain stopped and we came out, walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for rain the previous Friday. Anas replied that he did not know

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