907. Prayer for Rain (Salatul Istisqa)
Prayer for Rain (Salatul Istisqa) in Arabic
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 هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ نِزَارٍ، حَدَّثَنِي الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مَبْرُورٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ شَكَى النَّاسُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُحُوطَ الْمَطَرِ فَأَمَرَ بِمِنْبَرٍ فَوُضِعَ لَهُ فِي الْمُصَلَّى وَوَعَدَ النَّاسَ يَوْمًا يَخْرُجُونَ فِيهِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ بَدَا حَاجِبُ الشَّمْسِ فَقَعَدَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَكَبَّرَ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ " إِنَّكُمْ شَكَوْتُمْ جَدْبَ دِيَارِكُمْ وَاسْتِئْخَارَ الْمَطَرِ عَنْ إِبَّانِ زَمَانِهِ عَنْكُمْ وَقَدْ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ تَدْعُوهُ وَوَعَدَكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُمْ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " { الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ * مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ } لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ الْغَنِيُّ وَنَحْنُ الْفُقَرَاءُ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا الْغَيْثَ وَاجْعَلْ مَا أَنْزَلْتَ لَنَا قُوَّةً وَبَلاَغًا إِلَى حِينٍ " . ثُمَّ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الرَّفْعِ حَتَّى بَدَا بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ثُمَّ حَوَّلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ظَهْرَهُ وَقَلَّبَ أَوْ حَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ وَهُوَ رَافِعٌ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَنَزَلَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَأَنْشَأَ اللَّهُ سَحَابَةً فَرَعَدَتْ وَبَرَقَتْ ثُمَّ أَمْطَرَتْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ فَلَمْ يَأْتِ مَسْجِدَهُ حَتَّى سَالَتِ السُّيُولُ فَلَمَّا رَأَى سُرْعَتَهُمْ إِلَى الْكِنِّ ضَحِكَ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ فَقَالَ " أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ إِسْنَادُهُ جَيِّدٌ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَقْرَءُونَ { مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ } وَإِنَّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ حُجَّةٌ لَهُمْ .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The people complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) of the lack of rain, so he gave an order for a pulpit. It was then set up for him in the place of prayer. He fixed a day for the people on which they should come out. Aisha said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when the rim of the sun appeared, sat down on the pulpit, and having pronounced the greatness of Allah and expressed His praise, he said: You have complained of drought in your homes, and of the delay in receiving rain at the beginning of its season. Allah has ordered you to supplicate Him has and promised that He will answer your prayer. Then he said: 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. He then raised his hands, and kept raising them till the whiteness under his armpits was visible. He then turned his back to the people and inverted or turned round his cloak while keeping his hands aloft. He then faced the people, descended and prayed two rak'ahs. Allah then produced a cloud, and the storm of thunder and lightning came on. Then the rain fell by Allah's permission, and before he reached his mosque streams were flowing. When he saw the speed with which the people were seeking shelter, he (ﷺ) laughed till his back teeth were visible. Then he said: I testify that Allah is Omnipotent and that I am Allah's servant and apostle. Abu Dawud said: This is a ghraib (rate) tradition, but its chain is sound. The people of Medina recite "maliki" (instead of maaliki) yawm al-din" (the master of the Day of Judgement). But this tradition (in which the word maalik occurs) is an evidence for them. Sunan Abi Dawud 1173 [Hassan (Albani). Abu Dawood: 1173]