✨The Blessing of the Rain

The greatness of Allāh Almighty, and His bounties upon mankind, are evident in everything that people experience in their lives.

Greatness in creation of the heavens and what they contain of constellations, planets, the sun and the moon. And greatness in the creation of the earth and what it contains of mountains, plains, valleys, seas, rivers…and the types of trees and fruits and plants and animals, creatures on land and in the sea. No one knows them all or accounts for them or sustains them except their Creator, blessed is His Name, glory be to Him.

Among the manifestations of His great power and the evidence of His favor is the water that He provides His creation. He commands the clouds, then they gather and travel by the command of Allāh to where He wills. Then He sends down a blessed rain.

The moments that it rains are among the most beautiful moments of a person’s life. Indeed there is hardly an image more beautiful in this worldly life than rain descending from the sky. Especially if people, animals and the land are in need of water.

The sequence that results in the descending of rain include the formation of clouds, the illumination of lightening and the glorification of the thunder. Allāh Almighty said:
Ar Rad (13) 12-13: (12) It is He who shows you lightning, [causing] fear and aspiration, and generates the heavy clouds. (13) And the thunder exalts [Allāh] with praise of Him – and the angels [as well] from fear of Him – and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allāh; and He is severe in assault.

And from the ways that the Quran provides evidence of the Lordship of Allāh and His Oneness is by drawing attention to the value of this water, and the need of creation for it and the favor of the Creator in descending it, and then the affirmation of his Lordship and the necessity of singling Him out alone for worship. Allāh Almighty said:
As-Sajdah (32) 27: Have they not seen that We drive water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?

And Allāh Almighty said:
Al ‘Ankabot (29) 63: And if you asked them, “Who sends down rain from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness?” they would surely say, “Allāh.” Say, “Praise to Allāh”; but most of them do not reason.

And a person’s food throughout their life is from the products of this water that Allāh bestowed upon His servants for them to enjoy and have imān (faith). Allāh Almighty said:
Abasa (80) 24-32: (24) Then let mankind look at his food (25) How We poured down water in torrents, (26) Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], (27) And caused to grow within it grain (28) And grapes and herbage (29) And olive and palm trees (30) And gardens of dense shrubbery (31) And fruit and grass – (32) [As] enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.

And there would be no life on earth without water. For people and animals and plants cannot live without water. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Anbya (21) 30: And made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?

And Allāh Almighty said:
An Naba (78) 14-16: (14) And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water. (15) That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation. (16) And gardens of entwined growth.

And as Allāh Almighty is able to revive the earth with water after its death, He is also able to resurrect people and hold them accountable. Therefore, the news in the Quran of the revival of the earth is an example for the resurrection of people on the Day of Resurrection:
Fusilat (41) 39: And of His signs is that you see the earth stilled, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and grows. Indeed, He who has given it life is the Giver of Life to the dead. Indeed, He is over all things competent.

And Allāh Almighty said:
Fatir (35) 9: And it is Allāh who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection.

And the beauty that the rain brings to the earth, by the permission of Allāh Almighty, is a reflection of the pride, arrogance and weakness of human beings when they see the greenery and adornment but forget about the earth’s death before and after this greenery. And likewise the worldly life deceives mankind with its adornment and greenery, for perhaps it distracts them from the hereafter. Then the worldly life vanishes just as the greenery vanished from the earth. For this worldly life is like land that is adorned in times of rain and spring but its adornment is not permanent even if it lasts for a long time. For one living in it may become poor after affluence and weaken after strength and age after youth and they will pass just as a beautiful green plant withers and dies away. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Kahf (18) 45: And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

And Allāh Almighty said:
Yunus (10) 24: The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – [those] from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.

Oh Muslims: And the sending of rain is a criterion between the believers and disbelievers. Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy, may Allāh be pleased with him, said:
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet ﷺ finished, he faced the people and said to them: Do you know what your Lord has said? They said: Allāh and his Messenger know best. He said: This morning one of my servants became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for the one who said: We have been given rain by virtue of Allāh and His mercy, that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars; and as for him who said: We have been given rain by such-and-such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars. [Bukharī 846]

Belief in weather forecasts have saturated people’s hearts and their souls have followed suit. And even though these forecasts are based on known causes, it is all by the arrangement of Allāh Almighty and the hearts must be filled with conviction that the rain is from Allāh the Exalted. For Allāh Almighty may negate the causes and they may not have any effect. For when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was thrown in a fierce and blazing fire, Allāh Almighty took away the attribute of burning from the fire saying:
Al Anbya (35) 69: O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham.

For weather forecasts are based on knowledge, but a person should not hang the hopes of their heart upon them to the point some people say that the rain will surely and definitely fall and they do not know that the matter is Allāh’s command. For whatever He wills, is.

Therefore it is necessary to single out Allāh alone for worship and obey Him. And to beware of associating others with Him and disobeying Him and being deceived by this worldly life. And in the Quranic verses and the condition of the earth before and after the rain are signs for those who remember and lessons for those who take heed. For whoever does not take heed from the Words of Allāh does not have any alternative.

So put hope in your hearts by turning to Allāh Almighty and placing your trust in Him and waiting for relief and goodness from Him. For the known causes are from Allāh Almighty’s decree that He directs as He wills.

Also, supplicate with what your Prophet ﷺ used to supplicate. For if it rained, he used to supplicate:
Oh Allāh, make it beneficial rain. [Abu Dawood 5099, Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ]

And from his sunnah is that one should say:
We have been given rain by the grace and mercy of Allāh. [Al-Bukharī 1/205, Muslim 1/83]

And if the rain becomes strong one supplicates:
O Allāh, around us and not upon us. [Al-Bukharī 1/224, Muslim 1/614]

So follow the way of your Prophet ﷺ and attach your hearts to your Lord the Exalted.

May Allāh Almighty make us among those who reflect and ponder and may He safeguard us from heedlessness and distraction. Indeed Allāh is All Hearing Answering.

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