and He will send down abundant rain upon you from the sky.’” 1.

Ibn Sabīh said: “A man complained to al-Hasan al-Basrī (may Allah have mercy on him) of drought, and he told him, ‘Ask Allah for forgiveness.’ Another complained to him of poverty, and he told him, ‘Ask Allah for forgiveness.’ Another said to him, ‘Pray to Allah to grant me a child,’ and he told him, ‘Ask Allah for forgiveness.’ Yet another complained to him that his orchard had dried up, and he told him, ‘Ask Allah for forgiveness.’ We therefore asked him about this, and he replied, ‘I said nothing of my own accord. Allah, Exalted is He, says in Sūrat Noah: “Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever Forgiving. He will send down abundant rain upon you from the sky, support you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and rivers.”’” 2.

The verse means: “If you repent to Allah, ask His forgiveness, and obey Him, He will increase your provision, send you rain from the blessings of heaven, bring forth vegetation for you from the blessings of the earth, cause your crops to grow and your livestock to yield abundant milk, and support you with wealth and sons—that is, He will grant you wealth and children. He will also provide you with gardens containing every kind of fruit, interspersed with rivers flowing through them.” 3. This is in addition to many other forms of goodness and varieties of gifts and blessings. The merit, importance, and benefits of seeking forgiveness in this world and the Hereafter will be discussed later.

Another important etiquette of supplication is that a Muslim should call upon his Lord with humble entreaty, reverent humility, submission, and self-abasement. Indeed, this “is the spirit, essence, and purpose of supplication, for the humble and abased person makes his plea like a poor, abased person who has