It had been a long while since the last rainfall. The land was parched and many tribes could not take their animals to graze since the pastures had dried and they had no water. This was a great hardship for them, so one among them went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, in al-Madinah to ask the Prophet to ask Allah to lift this burden.
When the Bedouin reached al-Madinah the Prophet was on the mimbar(1) preparing to give the Friday Speech. Before the Prophet began, the Bedouin addressed him saying, “Oh Prophet of Allah, the situation is tough and the children are hungry, so please make supplication for us.” The Prophet lifted his hands toward the sky, which was clear and entirely empty of any clouds, and he asked Allah for rain.
The Prophet had barely lowered his hands before the sky filled with large clouds, foreshadowing the pouring rain. By the time the Prophet had finished his speech and was coming down from the mimbar, it was raining and his honorable beard was wet because his mosque was only covered with palm tree branches.
It continued raining the entire day and for days afterward. The children went out to play in the rain, the lands were refreshed, the camels and horses drank, the people filled their containers and everyone benefited, by the Will of Allah.
An entire week passed, and on the following Friday the same Bedouin came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, as he was about to address the people. The Bedouin said, “Oh Prophet of Allah, the rainfall is very heavy and the houses are being destroyed, ask Allah that the rain stop.” The heavy rain had washed away their houses, and so they had sent the Bedouin back to the Prophet to ask him to supplicate for them.
The Prophet smiled and asked Allah saying, “Oh Allah away from us and not on us”, meaning oh Allah let the rain fall away from us and not directly above us in a way which would destroy our homes. The clouds cleared from above al-Madinah and in a shape of a wreath.
This was by the merit of the Prophet’s supplication whose supplication is answered because he is an honorable prophet and a great messenger.
(1) It is an elevated platform from which the Friday Speech is given.
