Introduction of prayer:
This prayer is from Sahih Bukhari, Book Invoking Allah For Rain, Hadith: 1032. In this prayer narrated the words of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated when it rains.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا رَأَى الْمَطَرَ قَالَ “ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا ”
Narrated Aisha:
Whenever Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saw the rain, he used to say, “O Allah! Let it be a strong fruitful rain.”(Sahih Bukhari: 1032)
Explanation & virtues of prayer:
“ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا ”(a strong fruitful rain):
صَيِّبًا Means rain, as described by Sayyidna Ibn ‘Abbas (Sahih Buhkhari: 1032)
نَافِعًا Means beneficial, useful, advantageous, profitable, and good.
Although rain is a source of great mercy of Allah Kareem as Qur’an mentions in Surah Al-Furqan: 48. وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ طَهُورًۭا (And He it is Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the sky). But heavy rainfall can lead to numerous hazards, for example: flooding, including risk to human life, damage to buildings and infrastructure, and loss of crops and livestock. landslides, which can threaten human life, disrupt transport and communications, and cause damage to buildings and infrastructure. It can also affect the water cycle and lead to the extinction of many wild species.
It was the blessed Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to call upon Allah when it rain. He made prayer to make the rain beneficial and profitable. It is reported by Sayyidah Aisha (RA) that he used to seek refuge in Allah when it was blown the stormy wind, he (pbuh) made the supplication to make it good and profitable;
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا عَصَفَتِ الرِّيحُ قَالَ ” اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا فِيهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا أُرْسِلَتْ بِهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَرِّ مَا فِيهَا وَشَرِّ مَا أُرْسِلَتْ بِهِ ” . قَالَتْ وَإِذَا تَخَيَّلَتِ السَّمَاءُ تَغَيَّرَ لَوْنُهُ وَخَرَجَ وَدَخَلَ وَأَقْبَلَ وَأَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا مَطَرَتْ سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ فَعَرَفْتُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ ” لَعَلَّهُ يَا عَائِشَةُ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ عَادٍ { فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا هَذَا عَارِضٌ مُمْطِرُنَا} ” .
‘Ata’ b. Rabah reported on the authority of ‘A’isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him), who said:
Whenever the wind was stormy, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: O Allah! I ask Thee for what is good in it, and the good which it contains, and the good of that which it was sent for. I seek refuge with Thee from what is evil in it, what evil it contains, and the evil of that what it was sent for; and when there was a thunder and lightning in the sky, his colour underwent a change, and he went out and in, backwards and forwards; and when the rain came, he felt relieved, and I noticed that (the sign of relief) on his face. ‘A’isha asked him (about it) and he said: It may be as the people of ‘Ad said: When they saw a cloud formation coming to their valley they said:” It is a cloud which would give us rain”(Surah Al-Furqan: 24) (Sahih Muslim: 899b)
When rain exceeds the limits, the Prophet (pbuh) also used to supplicate:
” “ اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا
O Allah, send down rain in our suburbs but not on us. (Sahih Muslim: 897b)
