the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “O Allah, send us such rain that Abu Lubabah will have to rise and block the thicket at the edge of his drying yard with his waist-wrapper.” That is, the opening through which floodwater enters the orchard. Then the sky rained, and the people feared that the dates would be spoiled. So they came to Abu Lubabah and said, “Go to your drying yard and block it with your waist-wrapper so that the rain will cease.” He went and blocked it with his waist-wrapper, and the rain stopped. (1) This was among the signs of Allah ﷿. Thus, the people were spared the great harm that the rain would have caused to the dates in their drying yards.

There are other forms as well. It is not necessary for seeking rain to be done in the particular manner reported from the Prophet ﷺ. People may pray for rain during their prayers: when a person prostrates, he may supplicate to Allah; and when he rises during the night, he may supplicate to Allah ﷿.

“Perform it in congregation or individually. Its manner has been explained in its proper place, and its rulings are like those of the Eid prayer. When the imam wishes to go out for it, he admonishes the people and commands them to repent from sins.”

His statement, “Perform it in congregation or individually,” refers to the prayer for rain, whose manner will be discussed. It is preferable for it to be performed in congregation, as the Prophet ﷺ did.

His statement, “Its manner has been explained in its proper place, and its rulings are like those of the Eid prayer,” means that it is recommended to perform it in an open place outside the town, since the Eid prayer is recommended there.

In the first rak'ah, after the opening takbir and the opening supplication, one says six additional takbirs; and in the second, five. One recites Surah al-A'la and Surah al-Ghashiyah, because the author said, “Its manner has been explained in its proper place”—that is, its place—“and its rulings are like those of the Eid prayer.”

The evidence for this is the hadith of Ibn Abbas ﷺ: