907. Prayer for Rain (Salatul Istisqa)
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيْدُ اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ الْغَنِيُّ وَنَحْنُ الْفُقَرَاءُ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا الْغَيْثَ وَاجْعَلْ مَا أَنْزَلْتَ لَنَا قُوَّةً وَّبَلَاغًا إِلٰى حِيْنٍ.
Prayer for Rain (Salatul Istisqa) English Transliteration
Alhamdu lillaahi rabbil-‛aalameen, ar-rahmaan-ir-raheem, maaliki yawm-id-deen, laa ilaaha illaallahu yaf‛alu maa yureed, Allaahumma ant-allaahu laa ilaaha illaa antal-ghaniyyu wa nahnul-fuqaraa, anzil ‛alaynal-ghaytha, waj‛al maa anzalta lanaa quwwataw wa balaaghan ilaa heen.
Prayer for Rain (Salatul Istisqa) English Translation
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgment. There is no god but Allah Who does what He wishes. O Allah, Thou art Allah, there is no deity but Thou, the Rich, while we are the poor. Send down the rain upon us and make what Thou sendest down a strength and satisfaction for a time.
Then raise both hands (towards the sky so high), So that the whiteness of the armpits (i.e. the inner part of the armpits) can be seen. Then, with the back to the assembled people (facing the Ka'bah), turn your cloth over (lower part up, upper part down, right part left, and left part right). At this time keep the hand (in the same way towards the sky) high. Then you will return to the people, get down from the pulpit, and pray two rak'aats of Salatul istesqaah.
Hadith about the Dua
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى، قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا اسْتَسْقَى قَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا غَيْثًا مُغِيثًا مَرِيعًا مَرِيعًا نَافِعًا غَيْرَ ضَارٍّ عَاجِلًا غَيْرَ آجِلٍ». قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ.
‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicated for rain, he would say: "O Allah, send us a beneficial, abundant, wholesome rain—one that is swift and not delayed, beneficial and not harmful." (Abu Dawood)