F i r s t E x a m p l e : The fact that prayers of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for rain were always accepted has been transmitted by authorities of Hadith, primarily Bukhari and Muslim. There were times when in the pulpit he raised his hands to pray for rain, and before he had lowered them even, rain began to fall. As mentioned above, once or twice when the army had run out of water, the clouds came and poured forth rain. Before his prophetic mission, even, during his childhood, the Prophet’s grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib would go to pray for rain with him, and the rain came out of respect for Muhammad (PBUH). The fact became celebrated through a poem of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. And after the Prophet’s death, ‘Umar prayed making ‘Abbas the means, saying: “O our Sustainer! This is the uncle of your Beloved. Send us rain for his sake!” And it rained.(206)

Bukhari and Muslim also relate that God’s Messenger was asked to pray for rain. He did so and such rain fell that they were compelled to ask him to pray for it to stop. He did so, and it stopped at once.(207)

S e c o n d E x a m p l e : It is almost as well-known as those incidents about which there are many unanimous reports that when the number of

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(206) Bukhari, Istisqa’ 3; Fada’il Ashab al-Nabi 11.
(207) Bukhari, Istisqa’ 19; Ibn Maja, Iqama 154; Muslim, Salat al-Istisqa’ 8 no: 897; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya vi, 91-2; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa: i, 327.