3/3. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1173 — Complete Rain Prayer Scene
Raising The Hands During Istisqa'
Istisqa Prayer Hadith: Public Dua, Two Rak'ahs, and Rain
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1173
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1173
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 .
A'isha Narrated from:
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.
[1] Meaning it is only narrated through one route of transmission.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1173In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 13English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1169
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1173
This istisqa prayer hadith gives a fuller scene of the prayer for rain. The people complained of lack of rain, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم fixed a day for them to come out. He sat on the pulpit, said takbir, praised Allah, and reminded them that Allah ordered them to supplicate Him and promised to answer. He made dua, raised his hands until the whiteness under his armpits was visible, turned his back to the people, turned his cloak while keeping his hands raised, then prayed two rak'ahs. The report says Allah produced a cloud, thunder and lightning came, and rain fell by Allah's permission. The core message is need, worship, and reliance on Allah.
What we learn from this hadith
- The people brought their complaint of drought to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- He praised Allah, made dua, raised his hands, and turned his cloak.
- He prayed two rak'ahs after descending from the pulpit.
- The report says rain came by Allah's permission.
