The Istisqa prayer for rain: how it is performed, its sermon and supplications

Istisqa is asking Allah for rain when the sky withholds it and the land dries. It is an established Sunnah: the Prophet went out with the people, prayed, supplicated and raised his hands. This is a fiqh page explaining the prayer, its sermon and its supplications; it is not a timetable page. If you want prayer times, go to prayer times.

The three forms of Istisqa

Jurists mention three forms, as the Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Islamic Law records under the entry Istisqa:

1. Plain supplication at any time, without a prayer or a gathering.
2. Supplication in the Friday sermon or after the prayers, as the Prophet did from the pulpit (Sahih al-Bukhari 1013).
3. Going out to open ground with a prayer and a sermon: the fullest form, and the one meant by the Istisqa prayer.

How the prayer is performed, step by step

1. It has no adhan and no iqamah; people are simply called to come out.
2. They come out humbly in ordinary clothes rather than finery.
3. Two units are prayed as in the Eid prayer, with the recitation aloud.
4. Seven takbirat in the first unit including the opening takbir and five in the second, as the majority of scholars held by analogy with Eid. Whoever prays two plain units without extra takbirat has prayed validly; the difference concerns what is better, not validity.
5. After the prayer comes the sermon, filled with seeking forgiveness and the verses that call to it.
6. At the end of the sermon the imam faces the qiblah and supplicates with raised hands, while the people raise theirs and say amin.
7. He turns his cloak, placing what was on the right shoulder on the left and vice versa, as in Sunan Abi Dawud (1165).

Its time and place

Its time is that of the Eid prayer, after the sun has risen, and it is not tied to a particular day. It is prayed in open ground outside the buildings, and is valid in a mosque if going out is not possible.

Verses of forgiveness and asking for rain

This is why the Istisqa sermon is a sermon of seeking forgiveness before it is a sermon of request: in the Quran rain is tied to repentance and reform.

The authentic supplications for rain

Reported by al-Bukhari (1013), when the Prophet asked for rain from the pulpit.

Reported by Abi Dawud (1169).

A well-known Istisqa supplication among scholars, its meaning matching what the Sunnah transmits of asking for mercy and the reviving of the earth.

What is said when rain falls

This carries a great manner: rain is only asked for as a benefit, and when it becomes excessive one asks Allah to turn away its harm rather than remove the blessing.

Frequently asked rulings

• Istisqa is an emphasised Sunnah, not an obligation. The imam or his deputy leads the people out, and a town's congregation may perform it.
• No fixed number of outings is set; if rain is withheld the people go out a second and third time, as the imams did.
• Abundant charity, returning what was wrongfully taken and repenting are part of it, because the effect is tied to seeking forgiveness.
• Rain must never be attributed to a star or a season as the agent; one says, we have been given rain by the favour and mercy of Allah (Sahih al-Bukhari 846).
• Supplication is often answered while rain falls, so use that time for yourself and your family.

Frequently asked questions

How many units is the Istisqa prayer?

Two units prayed in congregation like the Eid prayer, with the imam reciting aloud, followed by a sermon filled with seeking forgiveness and supplication.

Does the Istisqa prayer have an adhan?

It has neither adhan nor iqamah. People are informed of the time, they gather, and the prayer begins.

When is the Istisqa prayer performed?

At the time of the Eid prayer, after the sun has risen. It is not tied to a particular weekday, and it is repeated if rain is delayed.

What does turning the cloak mean?

At the end of the sermon the imam moves what is on his right shoulder to the left and vice versa, as a good omen of the state turning from drought to abundance, as in Sunan Abi Dawud (1165).

May one pray for rain without the prayer?

Yes, and that is one of the three recognised forms. It may be done in the Friday sermon, after the prayers, or at any time; the prayer is the fullest form, not a condition for valid supplication.

What is said when rain falls?

Say: O Allah, let it be beneficial rain (Sahih al-Bukhari 1032), and afterwards: we have been given rain by the favour and mercy of Allah. If harm is feared, say: O Allah, around us and not upon us.