3/1. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1165 — Humility in Prayer for Rain
Collection Of Chapters Regarding Salat Al-Istisqa'
Istisqa Prayer Hadith: Humility, Dua, Takbir, and Two Rak'ahs
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1165
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1165
حَدَّثَنَا النُّفَيْلِيُّ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، نَحْوَهُ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كِنَانَةَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، أَرْسَلَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ - قَالَ عُثْمَانُ ابْنُ عُقْبَةَ وَكَانَ أَمِيرَ الْمَدِينَةِ - إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ صَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالإِخْبَارُ لِلنُّفَيْلِيِّ وَالصَّوَابُ ابْنُ عُتْبَةَ .
Abdullah ibn Abbas Narrated from:
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
[1] Meaning, he heard this from An-Nufaili, and ‘Uthmān bin Abī Shaibah, and most of it is the wording of An-Nufaili.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1165In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 5English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1163
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1165
This istisqa prayer hadith centers on humility before Allah. Ibn Abbas described that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم went out wearing old clothes, in a humble and lowly manner, until he reached the place of prayer. He ascended the pulpit, but the report says he did not deliver the usual kind of sermon. Instead, he kept making dua, showing humbleness to Allah, and saying takbir. Then he prayed two rak'ahs as done on Eid. For anyone searching how to pray istisqa, this narration gives simple markers from the text: humility, supplication, takbir, and two rak'ahs. The mood is need, not display.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم went out in a humble and lowly manner.
- He remained engaged in dua, humbleness, and takbir.
- The report says he did not give the usual form of sermon.
- He prayed two rak'ahs like the Eid prayer.
