He should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and supplicate with his supplications. Jabir narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O Allah, grant us a rain that is succoring, wholesome, abundant, beneficial and not harmful, immediate and not delayed." Narrated by Abu Dawud (10). Al-Khattabi (11) stated: "Murian" is narrated in two ways, with a ya' and with a ba'. He who narrates it with a ya' derives it from al-mira'ah (fertility); it is said: amra'a al-makan (the place became fertile). He who narrates it as "murbian" [with a ba'], its meaning is: causing the spring (rabi') to grow. From 'A'isha, she said: "The people complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the drought. He commanded that a pulpit be set up for him in the prayer ground [musalla] and appointed a day for the people to go out. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out when the edge of the sun appeared. He sat on the pulpit, recited the takbir, and praised Allah, then said: 'You have complained of the drought of your lands and the delay of rain from its expected time. Allah has commanded you to call upon Him and has promised to answer you.' Then he said: '{All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.} There is no deity but Allah (12), He does what He wills. O Allah, You are Allah, there is no deity but You, You are the Self-Sufficient and we are the needy. Send down rain upon us and make what You send down a strength and a provision for us until a time.' Then he raised his hands, and he continued to raise them until the whiteness of his armpits appeared. Then he turned his back to the people and flipped or turned his mantle [rida'], while still raising his hands. Then he faced the people, stepped down, and prayed two units [rak'ahs]." 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr said: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sought rain, he would say: 'O Allah, give drink to Your servants and Your cattle, spread Your mercy, and revive Your dead land.'" Both were narrated by Abu Dawud (13). Ibn Qutaybah narrated in his chain of narration in "Gharib al-Hadith" (14), from Anas: that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out
(10) In: Chapter on raising the hands in the prayer for rain, from the Book of Istisqa'. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/266. (11) In Ma'alim al-Sunan 1/255. (12) In A and M: "He". (13) The takhrij of the hadith of 'A'isha preceded on page 337, and the hadith of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr was recorded by Abu Dawud in: Chapter on raising the hands in the prayer for rain, from the Book of Istisqa'. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/268. It was also recorded by Malik in a mursal form: in Chapter on what has come regarding the prayer for rain, from the Book of Istisqa'. Al-Muwatta' 1/190, 191. (14) We did not find it in the printed edition of Gharib al-Hadith.
