Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Amribn Hazm that he had heard Abbad ibn Tamim say that he had heardAbdullah ibn Zayd al-Mazini say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, came out to the place of prayer andasked for rain, and when he faced the qibla he turned his cloak insideout."Malik was asked how many rakas there were in the prayerof asking for rain and he said, "Two rakas, and the imam does theprayer before he gives the khutba. He prays two rakas, and then hegives a khutba and makes dua, facing the qibla and turning his cloakinside out. He recites out loud in both rakas, and when he turns hiscloak inside out he puts what is on his right on his left, and what ison his left on his right, and all the people turn their cloaks insideout when the imam does so, and face the qibla, sitting."
Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Amr ibnShuayb that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, when he asked for rain, "O Allah, give water to Yourslaves and Your animals, and spread Your mercy, and give life to Yourdead land."
Yahya related to me from Malik from Sharik ibn Abdullah ibn AbiNamir that Anas ibn Malik said, "A man came to the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger ofAllah, our animals are dying and our camels are too weak to travel, somake dua to Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, made dua, and it rained on us from one jumua to thenext."Anas continued, "Then a man came to the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messengerof Allah, our houses have fallen down, the paths are blocked, and ourflocks are dying.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, 'O Allah, (only) the mountain and hill-tops,the valley bottoms, and the places where trees grow.' "Anasadded, "It cleared away from Madina like a garment being removed."Malik said, about a man who missed the prayer of asking forrain but caught the khutba, and wished to pray in the mosque, or inhis house when he returned, "He is free to do so, or not, as hewishes."
Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan fromUbaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, took the subh prayer with us at Hudaybiyya after it hadrained in the night. When he had finished he went up to the people andsaid, 'Do you know what your Lord has said?' They said, 'Allah and HisMessenger know best.' He said, 'Some of my slaves have begun themorning believing in Me, and others have begun it rejecting Me. As forthose who say, 'We were rained on by the overflowing favour of Allahand His mercy,' they believe in Me and reject the stars. But as forthose who say, 'We were rained on by such and such a star, they rejectMe and believe in the stars.' "
Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used tosay, "When a cloud appears from the direction of the sea and then goestowards ash-Sham, it will be an abundant source of rain."
Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Hurayraused to say, when morning came after it had rained on the people, "Wehave been rained upon by the rain of Allah's opening," and would thenrecite the ayat, "Whatever Allah opens to man of His mercy no-one canwithhold, and whatever He withholds no-one can send forward after Him." (Sura 35 ayat 2).