Salaat al-Istisqaa' or Rain Prayers: A Time to Make Dua'a and Ask for Forgiveness

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وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ

“And (remember) when Musa (Moses) asked for water for his people” [Baqarah 2:60]

Allaah, the Most High, tells them to remember the favours over them, the people of Moosa [Peace be upon him] where given water when they asked and He made it easy for them to access it, he gave them spring mineral water, each tribe having water so that it wouldn’t cause their hearts to be divided, He gave them Manaa and Salwa, and He permitted them to benefit from this all so they are commanded not to be…

“…do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth.”

[Adapted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer 1/278]

Shaykh Saaleh ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan [May Allaah Preserve him] was asked:

Question: Some people don’t pray Salaat al-Istisqaa’ and they say how can we pray when we have so many sins?

Answer: I seek protection in Allaah from this; this is despairing from the Mercy of Allaah. Ask Allaah to forgive your sins and don’t despair from the Mercy of Allaah. Pray the prayer and seek forgiveness in Allaah.

[After his explanation of the book Zaad al-Ma'aad, 27/3/1433 – 19/2/2012]

Question: What is your advice to the Muslims on Salaat al-Istisqaa’?

Shaykh ‘Abdul-Kareem bin ‘Abdullah al-Khudayr [May Allaah Preserve him] replied:

Salaat al-Istisqaa is a confirmed Sunnah from the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] because he went out and prayed them in two Rak’aat like he would do with the ‘Eid prayers. Some said he didn’t give Khutbah after it, meaning it came into practice after the time of Prophethood. They started to give long Khutbahs after this period, Khutbahs like they would do in Jumu’ah. He didn’t do it like this and it wasn’t like the Khutbah of ‘Eid either, rather the point was to make Dua’a, to praise His Majesty and to engorged you to seek His Forgiveness and Pardon. This would be the cause for relief to come. And there is no doubt that the precautionary measures need to be taken because seeking rain is a type of Dua’a. Rather, it is a Dua’a, you raise your hands and you ask Allaah, begging him. However, it is necessary for us to take the measures for our Dua’a to be accepted and remove all causes of rejection. A lot of people say, ‘I won’t pray Istisqaa because if I pray it, it will be like I am mocking it.’ We say: Oh brother! This is the Sunnah of the Chosen One [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] you are humbled by what is in your hands and what you have done (i.e. your sins). So take the precautionary measures and remove the causes for your Dua’a not to be accepted and you don’t have to do anything else. If we look at the state of the Muslims today, at the times in which the Dua’a will be answered, you find them being negligent and then they say we have not been answered. Some say, ‘I did Dua’a and I haven’t heard anything’. What is upon you is to humble yourself and take the measures for accepted Dua’a.  

[Sharh Al-Fiyyah al-‘Iraaqee Fee Uloom al-Hadeeth by Shaykh Abdul-Kareem bin Abdullah al-Khudayr (May Allaah Preserve him), Tape 46; 4-7 minutes]