The people were struck by drought during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. While the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering the Friday sermon from the pulpit, an Arabi stood up and said, "Messenger of Allah, our wealth has perished and our families are starving. Pray to Allah to send us rain."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands, and there was not a single Qaza in the sky. Then clouds rose up like mountains, and before he stepped down from his pulpit I saw the rain streaming down his beard.It rained on us that day, the next day, the day after that, and the one after that, until the following Friday. Then the same Arabi, or another man, stood up and said, "Messenger of Allah, the buildings are collapsing and our property is drowning. Pray to Allah for us."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands and said, "O Allah, around us and not upon us."He did not point with his hand toward any part of the sky except that it cleared, until Madinah stood in what looked like a clearing surrounded by clouds. The valley of Qanat ran with water for a month, and no one came from any direction without speaking of the abundant rain.
أصابت الناس سنة على عهد رسول الله ﷺ، فبينا رسول الله ﷺ يخطب على المنبر يوم الجمعة، قام أعرابي فقال: يا رسول الله، هلك المال، وجاع العيال، فادع الله لنا أن يسقينا. قال: فرفع رسول الله ﷺ يديه، وما في السماء قزعة، قال: فثار سحاب أمثال الجبال، ثم لم ينزل عن منبره حتى رأيت المطر يتحادر على لحيته. قال: فمطرنا يومنا ذلك، وفي الغد، ومن بعد الغد، والذي يليه إلى الجمعة الأخرى. فقام ذلك الأعرابي، أو رجل غيره، فقال: يا رسول الله، تهدم البناء، وغرق المال، فادع الله لنا. فرفع رسول الله ﷺ يديه وقال: اللهم حوالينا ولا علينا قال: فما جعل يشير بيده إلى ناحية من السماء إلا تفرجت، حتى صارت المدينة في مثل الجوبة، حتى سال الوادي، وادي قناة، شهرا. قال: فلم يجيء أحد من ناحية إلا حدث بالجود.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Istisqa (1033), and Muslim narrated it in the Book of Istisqa (9:897), both through Uzai, who said, Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abu Talha Ansari narrated to us, saying, Anas bin Malik narrated to me, and he mentioned it.It has been narrated from Abu Lubaba bin Abdul-Mundhir Ansari, who said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain on a Friday, saying, 'O Allah, send us rain, O Allah, send us rain.' Abu Lubaba stood up and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the dates are in the drying yards, and there is not a cloud in the sky that we can see.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'O Allah, send us rain.' Abu Lubaba stood up again and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the dates are in the drying yards.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'O Allah, send us rain until Abu Lubaba stands up to block the gap in his drying yard with his waist-wrap.' Then the sky poured down and it rained, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in prayer. Then the Ansar went around to Abu Lubaba, saying to him, 'O Abu Lubaba, by Allah, the sky will not clear until you stand up naked and block the gap in your drying yard with your waist-wrap, just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said.'" He said, "So Abu Lubaba stood up naked and blocked the gap in his drying yard with his waist-wrap, and the sky cleared."Tabarani narrated it in Mujam al-Saghir (385), and Bayhaqi narrated it in Dalail (6/145), both through Sahl bin Abdul-Rahman, known as Sindi bin Abd Rabbih, from Abdullah bin Abu Uways, from Abdul-Rahman bin Harmala, from Saeed bin Musayab, from Abu Lubaba bin Abdul-Mundhir Ansari, and he mentioned it.Ibn Kathir said in al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya (6/92), "This is a hasan chain of transmission, and neither Ahmad nor the people of the [main hadith] books narrated it, and Allah knows best."I say, in the chain of transmission is Abdullah bin Abdullah, Abu Uways al-Madani, about whom there is disagreement, and in my view he is hasan al-hadith when he does not contradict others and does not bring anything that would be considered objectionable against him. But in this hadith he has brought a story that is objectionable.