Chapter: The Prayer for Rain (Istisqa')
The prayer for rain is a confirmed Sunnah, established by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his successors, may Allah be pleased with them.
322 - Issue: Abu al-Qasim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "When the earth becomes barren and rainfall is withheld, they go out with the Imam. In their going out, they are as narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): that when he went out [for rain], he went out humble, unadorned, reverent, submissive, and pleading."
The entirety of this matter is that the Sunnah is to go out for the rain prayer in this mentioned state: humble before Allah the Almighty, unadorned—meaning in the clothes of the poor/work-wear, i.e., he does not wear decorative clothes, nor does he apply perfume because that is part of the perfection of adornment, and this is a day of humility and abasement—and he is to be reverent in his walking and sitting, in submission, pleading [to Allah] the Almighty, abasing himself before Him, and desiring Him. Ibn 'Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out for the prayer for rain unadorned, humble, reverent, and pleading, until he reached the prayer ground. He did not deliver a sermon like this sermon of yours, but he remained in supplication, pleading, and takbir (magnifying Allah), and he prayed two rak'ahs just as he used to pray on the day of 'Eid. Al-Tirmidhi said (4): This is a hasan sahih (good and authentic) hadith (5). It is recommended to clean oneself with water,
(1) In (A) and (M): "for rain (lil-istisqa')". (2) In (A) and (M): "to Allah (lil-Lahi)". (3) Omitted from the original (al-asl). (4) In: The Chapter on What Has Been Narrated Regarding the Prayer for Rain, from the Chapters of Travel. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/31. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter of Collecting the Chapters of the Prayer for Rain and its Branches, from the Book of Rain. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/265. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Condition in Which it is Recommended for the Imam to be When He Goes Out, the Chapter of the Imam Sitting on the Pulpit for the Prayer for Rain, and the Chapter of How the Prayer for Rain is Performed, from the Book of Rain. Al-Mujtaba 3/126, 127, 132. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of What Has Been Narrated Regarding the Prayer for Rain, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/403. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 1/230, 269, 355. (5) Omitted from: (A).
