meaning, he would lift it so that the rain would fall upon his body, saying: “It has only just come from its Lord.” (1)

This sunnah is authentically established in Sahih Muslim. Accordingly, a person should stand and uncover some part of his body—whether his shin, forearm, or head—so that the rain falls upon it, following the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and his statement in the hadith: “It has only just come from its Lord,” because Allah has created it now; it has only just been created by Allah.

Should it be said that this reasoning extends to other things which Allah, Exalted is He, brings into existence, or should we say that it is a rationale confined to the particular ruling for which it was given?

The answer is that it is a rationale confined to its particular ruling. Hence, one cannot say to a person that he should expose part of his body to anything newly born of an animal or the like, on the grounds that it has only just come from Allah.

Also inferred from his statement, “It has only just come from its Lord,” is the affirmation of Allah’s voluntary actions, which occur by His will, contrary to those who deny them. Their denial stems from ignorance, not knowledge. The Lord, Exalted is He, performs voluntary actions and does whatever He wills whenever He wills.

“And if the waters increase and they are feared, it is recommended to say: ‘O Allah, around us and not upon us, …’”

His statement, “And if the waters increase and they are feared, it is recommended to say: ‘O Allah, around us and not upon us,’” means: if the waters from the sky—that is, the rain—increase. The same applies if the waters of rivers rise in a manner that gives cause for fear. In that case, it is recommended to recite this supplication: “O Allah, around us and not upon us.”