The Blessing of the Rain

https://www.khutbah.info/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. 

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ  ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ  وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ ,  وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا  ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ  فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,  وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,  وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ   وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ    

Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

 يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102 

Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

Oh people:

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: 

هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمُ البَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنْشِئُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ * وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ المِحَالِ-الرعد  12-13

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:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ المَاءَ إِلَى الأَرْضِ الجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَامُهُمْ وَأَنْفُسُهُمْ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ-السجدة  27

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: 

وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللهُ قُلِ الحَمْدُ للهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ-العنكبوت 63  

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:

فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ * أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا المَاءَ صَبًّا * ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الأَرْضَ شَقًّا * فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا * وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا * وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا * وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا * وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا * مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ-عبس  24-32

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: 

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ المَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ-الأنبياء 30

Al Anbya (21) 30: And made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?

And Allāh Almighty said: 

وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ المُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا * لِنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا * وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا-النَّبأ  14-16

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: 

وَمِنْ آَيَاتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الأَرْضَ خَاشِعَةً فَإِذَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا المَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ إِنَّ الَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْيِي المَوْتَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ-فصِّلت  39

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: 

وَاللهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَى بَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَلِكَ النُّشُورُ-فاطر: 9

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:

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَثَلَ الحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقْتَدِرًا-الكهف  45

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:

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالأَنْعَامُ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآَيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ-يونس  24

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.

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Khutbah

الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ,  وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ  , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

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:

صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ بِالحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى إِثْرِ سَمَاءٍ كَانَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ: “هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟”، قَالُوا: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، قَالَ: “أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِالكَوْكَبِ .

The Messenger of Allāh  led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet  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: 

يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ-الأنبياء 69

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:

 اللهم صيبا نافعا

Oh Allāh, make it beneficial rain. [Abu Dawood 5099, Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ]

And from his sunnah is that one should say: 

مطرنا بفضل الله ورحمته

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: 

 اللهم حوالينا ولا علينا

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. 

هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed.  For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good

 عِبَادَ اللّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ  يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. 

اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا   وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.  

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