- “Whenever he supplicated—meaning, in the prayer for rain—he would place the backs of his hands facing his face.”
Abu Yaʿla recorded it in his Musnad (folio 167/2, Maktab 2): Zuhayr narrated to us; Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; Hammad ibn Salamah informed us, from Thabit, from Anas ibn Malik, who attributed it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with this wording.
I say: This chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of Muslim. Muslim also recorded a similar version (3/24) through the route of al-Hasan ibn Musa, who said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, with the wording: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed for rain and gestured toward the sky with the backs of his hands.” Ahmad also recorded it (3/153): Hasan ibn Musa narrated to us, with the same chain. He then recorded it (3/241) from Muʾammal, who said: Hammad narrated to us, with the same chain. He then said (3/271): ʿAffan narrated to us, with the wording:
“The people said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, our wealth has perished, we have been stricken by drought, and our wealth has perished; so pray for rain for us.’ He stood upon the pulpit on a Friday and prayed for rain—Hammad demonstrated this—spreading his hands level with his chest, with his palms facing the ground. There was not a wisp of cloud in the sky, yet he did not leave until even the strong young man was concerned for himself should he return to his family. It then rained upon us until the following Friday. They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the buildings have collapsed and the travellers have been cut off. Supplicate to Allah to remove it from us.’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed and said: ‘O Allah, around us and not upon us.’ Then the clouds cleared away, until Medina appeared as though it were within a wreath.”
Abu Yaʿla also recorded it (folio 166/2): Zuhayr narrated to us; ʿAffan narrated to us, with the same chain. Abu Dawud also recorded it through another route from ʿAffan, but only the relevant portion of it. ʿUmar ibn Nabhan followed him in narrating it from Qatadah, from Anas, in a concise version with the wording: