Reflecting upon the Rain

All praise is due to Allāh the All-Aware, All-Seeing, the Protector, the Praiseworthy. He created all things in precise measure. Allāh Almighty said:
Ash-Shura (42) 27: And if Allāh had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Aware and Seeing.

He, Glory be to Him, is the initiator and completer of favors, and He is the One who blesses and preserves them. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Ahzab (33) 9: O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allāh upon you.

Know that the Prophet ﷺ was the most knowledgeable of people about Allāh Almighty. And the most grateful for and the most affirming of His favors. He ﷺused to begin his mornings and evenings with praising Allāh Almighty for His favors. And he used to fill all what was between the morning and evening with gratitude to Allāh through speech and actions.

Abu Hurairah, may Allāh be pleased with him, narrated that:
When the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was on a journey, he would say before daybreak, who listens has heard that we praise Allāh for His good favors upon us. [Muslim 2718]

So perform plenty of worship, remembrance, gratitude of Allāh Almighty. And ask for Your Lord’s assistance regarding that, for whoever is assisted with that has been helped with all of the goodness and attained the love of Allāh Almighty. For the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ instructed the one he loved with this supplication saying:
I advise you O Mu’adh to never omit saying at the end of every prayer, Oh Allāh help me to remember You, and to be grateful to You and to worship You in the best manner. [Abu Dawood 1522. Grade: Sahih]

The successful are those whose lives are filled with reflecting about matters around them. This person is most apt to take the path of guidance and distance from the base deviations. And even if that person strays or deviates from the straight path for some time, they will return to the right path, by the permission of Allāh. They will be guided to it by reflecting, pondering and taking heed from what is around them.

And the creation of Allāh Almighty is one of the greatest matters to reflect about. And it brings goodness and guidance. For we see Allāh’s limitless and innumerable blessings flowing from the sky. So do we reflect and take heed from that ?!

Through the descending of rain, people live in Allāh’s graces and goodness. And rain invigorates the earth and fuels life, by the permission of Allāh, and produces every type of lovely plant. Allāh Almighty said:
Ar-Rum (30) 48-50: (48) It is Allāh who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds and spread them in the sky however He wills, and He makes them fragments so you see the rain emerge from within them. And when He causes it to fall upon whom He wills of His servants, immediately they rejoice (49) Although they were, before it was sent down upon them – before that, in despair. (50) So observe the effects of the mercy of Allāh – how He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed, that [same one] will give life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.

The blessed rain is a mercy from Allāh Almighty so that people can drink, eat and purify themselves. And it is necessary for them to know the magnitude of this favor and to strive in expressing gratitude for it and to be conscious of the effect of this great blessing in what they drink, eat and purify themselves with. And whoever studies the Quran, will find mention of these three blessings that come from the rain, while reminding people to be grateful for them.

Allāh Almighty says regarding the blessing of drinking:
Al Waqi’ah (56) 68-70: (68) And have you seen the water that you drink? (69) Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down? (70) If We willed, We could make it bitter, so why are you not grateful?

And there are many verses regarding the blessing of food. Indeed people eat from the produce of the earth that is caused by the rain. So Allāh Almighty has made people’s livelihoods and sustenance from the earth. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Araf (7) 10: And We have certainly established you upon the earth and made for you therein ways of livelihood. Little are you grateful.

And the blessing of purifying with water was indicated in the verses in which Allāh mandated and clarified the rulings of wudu (ablution) and tayyamum (dry ablution). Then Allāh Almighty concluded His words with:
Al Maeda (5) 6: Allāh does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.

No matter how much we try to gauge the blessings of Allāh upon us from the blessed rain we would not be able to quantify them. And these blessings fall under three foundational blessings which are food, drink and purification. And since we cannot guage them, we are unable to be grateful for them. But from the mercy of Allāh Almighty upon us is that He did not charge us with gratitude except as much as we are able. So is it appropriate for us to fall short in the gratitude that we can make, which is small in relation to the abundance of blessings and the greatness of the Bestower, Glory be to Him?!

Allāh Almighty said:
Fatir (35) 3: O mankind, remember the favor of Allāh upon you. Is there any creator other than Allāh who provides for you from the heaven and earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?

Oh Muslims:Indeed the true believer and the one who has been given success to know the magnitude of these blessings does not limit their gratitude to just when it rains. Rather they extend their gratitude until they leave this world. And that is through the worship of reflecting which is a worship of the heart and among the greatest and most beneficial acts of worship. And it is from the worships with the biggest impact on the rectification and steadfastness of the heart. And this includes pondering upon Allāh’s ordaining signs, that is the verses in the Quran, and pondering upon Allāh’s signs within this worldly existence, which includes the descending of rain to the earth.

And there are many verses in the Quran that invite reflecting upon Allāh’s ordaining and worldly signs. Rather, there is praise for His servants who do so. And from them is His words:
Al Imran (3) 190-191: (190) Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding – (191) Who remember Allāh while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

Ibn Al Qayim, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: Good and happiness is in a locker, (and) its key is reflecting. Reflection that transfers from extinct insight to the life of vigilance, and from the confinement of the worldly life to the expanse of the hereafter, and from the constriction of ignorance to the broadness and breadth of knowledge.

When the rain falls from the sky, we reflect and contemplate upon its diversity. Sometimes abundant, sometimes continuous, sometimes torrential, and sometimes intermittent. Is this not a evidence of the great power of the Lord and His great dominion? There is no drop of rain that falls from the sky except by His permission. And if all of the creation, the humans and jinns, gathered to create rain, they would not be able to do so! Is this not another evidence of the inability of creation, no matter what they possess of progress, advancements and technology?!

And in the descending of the rain we reflect and contemplate upon the comprehensive wisdom in its descending to the extent of the need, until the earth has taken its need from it. And more rain after that would be harmful. The rain stops and is followed by clear skies.

Then we reflect and contemplate about the alternation of the clear and cloudy conditions, and what that contains of benefits for the earth. And imagine the state of the earth if one of them persisted!!

If the rains persisted, what is on the earth would be destroyed. And if the rain is more than is needed, grains and fruits would spoil, the air would be stifled, various diseases would emerge, most of the food would be destroyed and pathways and roads would be cut off.

Also, it is recommended that when rain descends to uncover one’s head and loosen their clothes so that rain falls on them.

As Anas bin Malik, may Allāh be pleased with him, narrated:
Rain fell upon us while we were with Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ. He opened his garment till some of the rain fell upon him. He then said, It has only recently been created by its Lord. [Muslim 898]

We ask Allāh to make us among those who think and ponder upon His signs and verses. And we ask Allāh to help us in expressing gratitude for His limitless and immeasurable graces, bounties and favors. Indeed Allāh is All Hearing, Answering.

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