3/3. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1174 — Dua for Rain and Relief from Excess Rain
Raising The Hands During Istisqa'
Dua for Rain Hadith: Around Us and Not Upon Us
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1174
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1174
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، وَيُونُسُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ أَصَابَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ قَحْطٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يَخْطُبُنَا يَوْمَ جُمُعَةٍ إِذْ قَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكَ الْكُرَاعُ هَلَكَ الشَّاءُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَسْقِيَنَا فَمَدَّ يَدَيْهِ وَدَعَا قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَإِنَّ السَّمَاءَ لَمِثْلُ الزُّجَاجَةِ فَهَاجَتْ رِيحٌ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَتْ سَحَابَةً ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعَتْ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَتِ السَّمَاءُ عَزَالِيَهَا فَخَرَجْنَا نَخُوضُ الْمَاءَ حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا مَنَازِلَنَا فَلَمْ يَزَلِ الْمَطَرُ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ الأُخْرَى فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تَهَدَّمَتِ الْبُيُوتُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَحْبِسَهُ فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ " حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا " . فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى السَّحَابِ يَتَصَدَّعُ حَوْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ كَأَنَّهُ إِكْلِيلٌ .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
The people of Medina had a drought during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). While he was preaching on a Friday, a man stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, the horses have perished, the goats have perished, pray to Allah to give us water. He spread his hands and prayed.Anas said: The sky was like a mirror (there was no cloud). Then the wind rose; a cloud appeared (in the sky) and it spread : the sky poured down the water. We came out (from the mosque after the prayer) passing through the water till we reached our homes. The rain continued till the following Friday.The same or some other person stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, the houses have been demolished, pray to Allah to stop it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled and said: (O Allah), the rain may fall around us but not upon us. Then I looked at the cloud which dispersed around Medina just like a crown.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1174In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 14English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1170
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1174
This hadith about dua for rain begins with drought in Medina. While the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was preaching on Friday, a man stood and asked him to pray to Allah for water because livestock had perished. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم spread his hands and prayed. The sky had been clear, then wind and clouds came, and rain poured until people walked through water to their homes. The rain continued until the next Friday. When harm to houses was mentioned, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم smiled and said, "Around us and not upon us." The cloud then dispersed around Medina like a crown. The hadith teaches asking Allah for help and also asking for relief when rain becomes harmful.
What we learn from this hadith
- The people asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to pray for rain during drought.
- He spread his hands and made dua.
- When damage was feared, he asked for rain around them, not upon them.
- The report describes the clouds dispersing around Medina.
