HADITHS ON SEEKING RAIN
Anas and others narrated that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was delivering the Khutbah (sermon) on the pulpit on a Friday, when a Bedouin stood up and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! The livestock are dying and the families (offspring) are hungry: please pray to Allah to bless us with rain.” Allah’s Messenger raised both his hands toward the sky and at that time there was not a trace of cloud in the sky. Then the clouds started gathering like mountains. Before he got down from the pulpit I saw rain-water trickling down his beard.
On this occasion some of his Companions recollected a poetic passage that his uncle Abu Talib composed about him whose meaning goes thus:
His is the white face through which rainfall is sought;
He is a benefactor of orphans and a supporter of widows;
He is the resort of those who face impending perish from among the clan of Hashim;
They always find favor and support from him.
Abu Nu‘aim said: “Prophet Nooh (Peace be upon him) spent nine hundred and fifty years among his people calling them unto Allah. In spite of these long years, the number of those who believed in him and rode on the ark with him was less than a hundred men and women. As for our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), people from the East and the West believed in him within a short span of twenty years. The world tyrants and kings such as the Kisra (Chosrau of Persia) and the Qaisar (Caesar of Rome) reckoned with him for fear of losing their kingdoms. The Negus of Abyssinia and the chieftains embraced Islam. Those who could not embrace Islam agreed to humiliatingly pay the Jizyah. These are peoples of Najran, Hajar, Ailah, Ukaidir Doomah, to mention just a few. They all surrendered to Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) for Allah made him victorious by frightening his enemies whenever he was at a distance of one month’s journey from them. Many conquests were made and people entered in the religion of Allah in groups. Allah says:
“When there comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah). And you see that the people enter Allah’s religion (Islam) in crowds.” (Soorah An-Nasr 110:12)
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) did not leave this world until after Allah has put under his control Makkah, Al-Madinah, and most of Yemen and Hadramawt. He was survived by one hundred thousand or more Companions. Then his successors, Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, respectively, continued with the conquests after him until the East and West from the eastern sea to the western sea were brought under the rule of Islam as the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) had himself informed us: “Allah drew the ends of the world near one another for my sake. And I have seen its eastern and western ends. And the dominion of my Ummah would reach those ends which have been drawn near me.”
He also said: “When Qaisar is ruined, there will be no Qaisar after him; and when Kisra is ruined, there will be no Kisra after him. By Him in Whose Hands my life is, you will spend their treasures in Allah’s Cause.”
Concerning Allah’s statement, “And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for Al’Alameen (mankind, Jinns and all that exists).” (Soorah Al-Anbiya’ 21:107), Ibn Abbas commented: “Those who believed in Allah and His Messenger will attain the mercy in this world and the Hereafter. As for those who did not believe, they will be counted among the ones who deserve hastened punishment of this world such as tribulations, strikes and swallowing by the earth.”
Allah (SWT) says:
“Have you not seen those who have changed the Blessings of Allah into disbelief (by denying Prophet
Muhammad and his Message of Islam), and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction?”
(Soorah Ibraheem 14:28)
Ibn Abbas said: “The blessing is Muhammad, and those who changed the blessing into disbelief are the unbelievers of Quraish and any other people that belie him for Allah says:
“But those of the sects (Jews, Christians and all the other non-Muslim nations) that reject it (the Qur’an), the Fire will be their promised meeting-place.” (Soorah Hood 11:17)
Abu Nu‘aim said: If it is said that Allah has described Nooh with one of His beautiful Attributes in Soorah Al-Isra’ (17:3), we can also say that He has described Muhammad with two of His Attributes; and that is in His statement, “For the Believers (he peace be upon him is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.” (Soorah At-Tawbah 9:128)
Allah addressed the Prophets and Messengers with their names: He would say, “O Nooh!”, “O Ibraheem!”, “O Moosa!”, “O Dawood!”, “O Yahya!”, “O Eesa, son of Maryam!” But whenever He addressed Prophet Muhammad, he would say, “O Messenger!” (Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:41) “O Prophet!” (Soorah Al-Anfal 8:64) “O you wrapped in garments!” (Soorah Al-Muzzammil 73:1); “O you enveloped (in garments)!” (Soorah Al-Muddaththir 74:1) These appellations are like honorary nicknames.
Whenever the polytheists accused their Prophets of foolishness or craziness, each of the accused Prophets personally refuted the accusation and defended themselves. Prophet Nooh (Peace be upon him) said: “O my people! There is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of Al-’Alameen!” (Soorah AlA‘raf 7:61) Prophet Hood (Peace be upon him) also said the same. When Fir‘awn said to Prophet Moosa (Peace be upon him): “O Moosa (Moses)! I think you are indeed bewitched.” (Soorah Al-Isra’ 17:101) Moosa responded: “Verily, you know that these signs have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the Earth as clear (evidences, i.e., proofs of Allah’s Oneness and His Omnipotence.). And I think you are, indeed, O Fir’awn (Pharaoh) doomed to destruction (away from all good)!” (Soorah AlIsra’ 17:102)
But whenever Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was accused of anything, it is Allah Himself Who refuted the accusation and defended His Messenger. Examples of this are in the following Verses: And they say: “O you (Muhammad to whom the Dhikr, the Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a madman! Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful?” (Soorah Al-Hijr 15:6-7) Allah himself responded: “We send not the angels down except with the truth (i.e., for torment), and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite!” (Soorah Al-Hijr 15:8)
And they say: “Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.” Say: “It (this Qur’an) has been sent down by Him (Allah) (the Real Lord of the heavens and Earth) Who knows the secret of the heavens and the Earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Soorah Al-Furqan 25:5-6)
Or do they say: “(Muhammad is) a poet! We await for him some calamity by time!” Say (O Muhammad to them): “Wait! I am with you among the waiters!” (Soorah At-Toor 52:30-31)
Allah (SWT) also says: “It is not the word of a poet: little is that you believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of Al-’Alameen.” (Soorah Al-Haqqah 69:41-43)
“And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred) when they hear the Reminder (the Qur’an), and they say: “Verily, he (Muhammad) is a madman!” But it is nothing else than a Reminder to all Al-’Alameen.”
(Soorah Al-Qalam 68:51-52)
“Noon. By the pen and by what they (the angel) write (in the Records of men) You (O Muhammad) are not, by the Grace of your Lord, a madman. And verily, for you (O Muhammad) will be an endless reward. And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character.” (Soorah Al-Qalam 68:1-4)
And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: “It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad)” The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’an) is a clear Arabic tongue.” (Soorah An-Nahl 16:103)
Abu Nu‘aim said what means: “Allah destroyed his people with barren wind which was wind of wrath while Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was supported with wind during the Battle of Confederates. Allah says: “O you who believe! Remember Allah’s Favor to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not. And Allah is Ever AllSeer of what you do.” (Soorah Al-Ahzab 33:9)
Abdullah Ibn Abbas said: During the Battle of the Confederates, the southern wind went to the northern wind and said to her, “Let us go and support Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.” The northern wind said, “The free one does not go out in the night.” So Allah sent the easterly wind to support them. That is what is referred to in Allah’s statement: “And We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not.”
(Soorah Al-Ahzab 33:9) This is corroborated with the Prophet’s saying: “I was granted victory with As-Saba (easterly wind) and the nation of ‘Ad was destroyed by Ad-Daboor (westerly wind).”
By Ibn Katheer
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