Part 1 · Pages 280-281
The Messenger Prays for Rain
English rendering of the source section
Local English translation from the Arabic text; variants and editorial abridgements are noted.
This local English rendering may condense the Arabic narration and editorial notes. It is not a complete published English edition. Consult the Arabic source for exact wording and context.
Read the corresponding Arabic sectionIbn Hisham related from a trusted source that when drought struck Medina, people came to the Messenger. He ascended the pulpit and prayed for rain; rain soon came so heavily that people from the outskirts feared flooding. The Messenger prayed, “O Allah, around us, not upon us,” and the clouds drew away from the city. He then said, “If Abu Talib had lived to see this day, it would have pleased him,” alluding to Abu Talib’s verse: “A radiant one by whose face rain is sought; a support for orphans and a protection for widows.”
Ibn Ishaq identifies the people and clans named in the poem, including al-Ghayatil, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi, Zuhayr, and others. The commentary clarifies tribal relationships and notes that Abu Talib’s line about seeking rain refers to a prayer made in Medina, while al-Suhayli cites an earlier drought report from the time of ‘Abd al-Muttalib in which the young Muhammad was present.