= ‘Miracle’ of Salaatul Istisqa witnessed in California

http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2014/02/05/miracle-of-salaatul-istisqa-witnessed-in-california/

Cii News | 05 February 2014/04 Rabi ul Akhir 1435 A call by Muslim leaders in California for believers to assemble to beseech the Almighty for rain and forgiveness has reaped abounding dividends with the heavens opening themselves just hours after the special prayer concluded. Last week, the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) announced that members of the Muslim community would offer a prayer for rain on Saturday to help relieve the ongoing drought impacting California residents and agriculture. US Federal officials had designated portions of 11 drought-ridden western and central states as primary natural disaster areas, highlighting the financial strain the lack of rain is likely to bring to farmers in those regions. “California is experiencing one of the driest winters on record following two years of winters without adequate rain and snow,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese was quoted as saying. In response, Muslims in the Bay Area of the State led by senior scholars Tahir Anwar, Hamza Yusuf and Zaid Shakir mobilised to arrange a special gathering for Salaatul Istisqa, or prayers for rain, as prescribed by the Prophet SAW over the weekend. People of other faiths were also invited to attend. “When God withholds the rain it is a trial for everyone. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, men, women, children, beasts, birds, even the fish, as we see in the devastation the drought has wrought upon our salmon populations,” said Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of Zaytuna College and one of the event’s organizers. “We invite our co-religionists along with members of other faith communities to join us as we fervently pray for relief from the drought that has befallen our wonderful state.” Hundreds of residents of the US state of California gathered outside in San Francisco on Saturday to heed the call. Muslim scholar and co-founder of the Zaytuna College Hamza Yusuf led the prayers. In his sermon, Yusuf emphasized morality as a common thread that united all Divine faiths and a trait, the commitment to which, required urgent re-assessing within American society. The esteemed scholar also implored congregants to realise the ’cause and effect’ mechanism which the Almighty had instituted to maintain justice in the universe. “When we talk about sinfulness, which is a word people want to remove from their dictionaries today,” Yusuf said, “we have criminal law which is made by men, but there is other law working in the world: it is a metaphysical law, a law of cause and effect, a law of ‘you reap what you sow’” “The Prophet SAW had informed us that no people become unjust in their commercial transactions, except that they get the tribulation of drought”. The event concluded with a heartfelt Dua by the Imam, who raised his hands facing the Qiblah, his outer garments turned inside out to reveal its seams, all according to Prophetic practice. The supplications appeared to have reached their destination. The Bay Area finally got some rain on Sunday, though not yet enough to abate the drought. On a cold, wintry day, clouds dropped fine droplets on the parched parks, brown hillsides and thirsty gardens. The response was ecstatic. “Amazing coincidence? Muslims in the Bay Area went out for the Prayer for Rain, next day this happened…,” @mohamedghilan wrote on Twitter, posting an image for Muslims’ prayer for rain. Writing on Muslim Matters, Amad Shaikh concurred. Characterising the event as a great Da’wah success, he said believers didn’t need evidence for their faith, but occurences such as these could only have our faith renewed and refreshed. “Salatul-Istisqa’ is a Prophetic prayer offered by Muslims when seeking rain from Almighty Allah during times of drought. Sayyida ‘Aishah RA relates: “The people complained to the Messenger of Allah about lack of rain, so he gave orders for a pulpit, and when it was set up for him,he appointed a day for the people to gather. He came out on that day when the sun had just appeared and sat down on the pulpit. He extolled Allah’s greatness and praised Him. Then he said: ‘You have complained of drought in your areas and of delay in receiving rain at the beginning of its season, but you have been ordered by Allah to supplicate Him and He has promised that He would answer your prayers.’ Then he said: ‘All praise is for Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the King of the Day of Judgment. There is no God but Allah Who does what He wishes. O Allah, there is no God except Thee. You are the Self-sufficient and we are the poor. Send down rain upon us and make it a source of strength for us and satisfaction for us.’ He then raised his hands and kept raising them till the whiteness of his armpits could be seen. After this, he turned his back to the people and inverted his cloak, keeping his hands raised. Finally, he faced the people, descended from the pulpit, and prayed two rak’at. At that time Allah produced a cloud, thunder, and lightning.And, by Allah’s permission, it rained and before he reached the mosque there was flooding. Then he saw how quickly the people were running for shelter, he laughed until his molar teeth could be seen. He said: ‘I bear witness that Allah has power over all things and I am Allah’s slave and Messenger.’ (Reported by Al Haakim) Tags: B, Bay Area, CAIR, California, Hamza Yusuf, rain, Salatul Istisqa, San Francisco, Tahir Anwar, Zaid Shakir