419 – Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Rain fell upon us while we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He then uncovered part of his cloak so that the rain touched him and said, ‘It has just now come from its Lord.’” Narrated by Muslim (1).

Lexical notes:
– ḥasara: one says ḥasara al-shayʾ yaḥsuruhu ḥasran—i.e., he uncovered it; for example, “He drew back his sleeve from his forearm,” meaning he exposed it. Here it means that he uncovered part of his body.
– ḥadīthu ʿahd: from ḥadatha, “to be new,” the opposite of qaduma, “to be old”; thus, “fresh, newly arrived.”

Points derived from the ḥadith:

1. It is recommended to go out and receive the first drops of rain so that they touch one’s body, clothes, and riding gear—in gratitude for Allah’s favor, rejoicing at its descent, and because the water is still in its original purity, untouched by the ground and unmingled with anything that might cloud its clarity or alter its taste.

2. Allah, exalted and sublime, is above, and the rain descends from above. Though it does not reach the loftiness of Allah’s height, it still comes from on high and carries the fresh blessing of His handiwork. Allah the Exalted says, “And We send down from the sky blessed water” (Qaf 50:9). Al-Shāfiʿī narrated in al-Umm, with a mursal chain, that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Seek the response to supplication at the time of rainfall and when the prayer is being established.” Sharḥ al-Iqnāʿ states that it is related that whenever a valley flooded, the Prophet ﷺ would say, “Come out with us to this water which Allah has made a purifier, so that we may purify ourselves with it,” [narrated by al-Shāfiʿī in