delayed,’ and the heavens poured down upon them.”

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “The people complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about a drought. He ordered that a pulpit be set up for him in the open-air prayer ground and appointed a day on which they should go out. On that day, when only the rim of the sun had appeared, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out, sat on the pulpit, pronounced the takbīr and praised Allah. He then said:

‘You have voiced your grievance about the barrenness of your lands and the withholding of rain from you in its due season. Allah, exalted is He, has commanded you to supplicate Him and has promised to answer you.’

He continued: ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgment.

There is no deity but Allah; He does whatever He wills. O Allah, You are Allah—there is no god but You—the Self-Sufficient, while we are the needy. Send down upon us the rain, and make what You send a source of strength and sustenance for us for a time.’

He then raised his hands, and he kept them raised until the whiteness of his underarms became visible. Turning his back to the people, he inverted his cloak while his hands were still raised; then he faced the congregation again, descended and prayed two rakʿahs.

Allah, mighty and majestic, then formed a cloud. It thundered and flashed, and by Allah’s permission it rained. Before he could reach his mosque, the valleys were already running with water. When he saw the people hurrying to find shelter, he laughed until his molars were visible and said, ‘I bear witness that Allah has power over all things and that I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’”

Both reports were recorded by Abū Dāwūd.