Me to give you?” Elijah said, “Give me control over the storehouses of heaven for seven years: do not spread a single cloud over them except at my supplication, and do not send upon them even a drop of rain for seven years except through my intercession, for nothing will humble them but that.”

Allah Most High said, “O Elijah, I am more merciful to My creation than that, even if they are wrongdoers.”

He said, “Then six years.”

Allah said, “I am more merciful to My creation than that.”

He said, “Then five years.”

Allah said, “I am more merciful to My creation than that; yet I shall grant you your vengeance for three years. I shall place the storehouses of rain in your hand.”

Elijah said, “Then by what shall I live?”

He said, “I shall place at your service an army of birds to carry your food and drink to you from the countryside and from lands that have not been struck by drought.”

Elijah said, “I am satisfied.”

So Allah Most High withheld the rain from them until the livestock, beasts, creeping creatures, and trees perished, and the people suffered grievous hardship. Elijah remained in his former state, concealed from his people; his provision was brought to him wherever he was. His people came to know of this, and whenever they smelled the scent of bread in a house, they would say, “Elijah has entered this place.” They would seek him out, and he suffered ill treatment at the hands of the people of that house.

Ibn Abbas said: The Children of Israel were afflicted by drought for three years. Elijah passed by an old woman and asked her, “Do you have any food?” She replied, “Yes—some flour and a little oil.” He asked for them, supplicated for blessing in them, and touched them, until her sack was filled with flour and her jars were filled with oil.

When the people saw this with her, they asked, “Where did you get this?” She said, “A man of such-and-such appearance passed by me,” and she described him, so they recognized him. They said, “That is Elijah.” They sought him and found him, but he fled from them.

Then he took refuge in the house of a woman from the Children of Israel who had a son called Elisha son of Akhtub. The boy was afflicted with an illness, so she sheltered Elijah and concealed his affair. Elijah supplicated for him, and he was cured of the illness he had. Elisha then followed Elijah: he believed in him, affirmed him, and remained with him, going wherever he went. Elijah had grown old, while Elisha was a young man.

Then Allah Most High revealed to Elijah: “By withholding the rain, you have caused many creatures to perish that had not disobeyed: livestock, beasts, birds, and creeping creatures.”

It is related—and Allah knows best—that Elijah said, “My Lord, let me be the one to supplicate for them and bring them relief from the affliction in which they are, so that perhaps they may return and abandon their worship of other than You.”

He was told, “Yes.”

Elijah then came to the Children of Israel and said, “You have perished from hunger and hardship; livestock, beasts, birds, creeping creatures, and trees have perished because of your sins. You are upon falsehood. If you wish to know this, then bring out your idols. If they answer you, then the matter is as you claim; but if they do not, you will know that you are upon falsehood. Then abandon it, and I shall supplicate to Allah Most High, who will relieve you of the affliction in which you are.”

They said, “You have been fair.” So they brought out their idols and called upon them, but they did not relieve them of the affliction they were suffering. Then they said to Elijah, “We have perished, so supplicate to Allah Most High for us.” Elijah and Elisha then supplicated for relief on their behalf. A cloud like a shield appeared over the surface of the sea as they watched. It approached them and covered the horizons; then Allah Most High sent down rain upon them, relieving them, and their lands came back to life.

But when Allah Most High removed their hardship, they broke the covenant. They did not desist from their disbelief, but persisted in the vilest state they had been upon. When Elijah saw this, he supplicated to his Lord that He grant him relief from them. It is related that he was told: “On such-and-such a day, go out to such-and-such a place; then whatever comes to you—”