Rain prayer

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Rain prayer
Official nameصلاة الاستسقاء
Also calledDrought prayer
Observed by
Muslims
TypeIslamic
SignificanceA Muslim prayer offered to God seeking rain water.
ObservancesSunnah prayers
BeginsDuha
EndsZenith - Noon
FrequencyOccasionally
Related toSalah, Nafl prayer, Five Pillars of Islam

The Rain prayer (

Arabic: صلاة الاستسقاء; ṣalāt al-istisqa, "rain request prayer") is a sunnah salah (Islamic prayer) for requesting and seeking rain water from God.[1]

Presentation

According to Muslim

raised his hands in Dua and prayed to God for a downpour.[2] After his supplication was answered with torrential rain for days, Muhammad again prayed to God for the excessive rain to stop.[3]

On another occasion Muhammad is said to have walked out of the mosque in broad daylight into an esplanade with the

rak'ahs as a group while reading Al-Fatiha aloud, as he did in Friday prayer.[4]

Ritual

Raising hands in Dua

In Muslim agricultural societies, in times of calamity such as drought, the Imam is asked to provide spiritual help to the community in the hope of inducing God to fall rain.[5]

Practice

On the day fixed to perform this prayer, the imam of the mosque leads Muslims in a collective ritual to ask God to give them enough rain for agricultural and human drinking needs, and personal hygiene.[6]

This prayer ritual takes place in the same open space outside the mosque where the two Eid prayers are held annually.[7]

References

  1. ^ "صلاة الاستسقاء".
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  5. ^ Saqib, Muhammad Abdul Karim (13 April 2015). "A Guide to Salat (Prayer) in Islam".
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