Muwatta Malik: Chapter 13

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Amr
ibn Hazm that he had heard Abbad ibn Tamim say that he had heard
Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Mazini say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, came out to the place of prayer and
asked for rain, and when he faced the qibla he turned his cloak inside
out."

Malik was asked how many rakas there were in the prayer
of asking for rain and he said, "Two rakas, and the imam does the
prayer before he gives the khutba. He prays two rakas, and then he
gives a khutba and makes dua, facing the qibla and turning his cloak
inside out. He recites out loud in both rakas, and when he turns his
cloak inside out he puts what is on his right on his left, and what is
on his left on his right, and all the people turn their cloaks inside
out when the imam does so, and face the qibla, sitting."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Amr ibn
Shuayb that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, when he asked for rain, "O Allah, give water to Your
slaves and Your animals, and spread Your mercy, and give life to Your
dead land."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sharik ibn Abdullah ibn Abi
Namir that Anas ibn Malik said, "A man came to the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger of
Allah, our animals are dying and our camels are too weak to travel, so
make dua to Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, made dua, and it rained on us from one jumua to the
next."

Anas continued, "Then a man came to the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger
of Allah, our houses have fallen down, the paths are blocked, and our
flocks are dying.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, 'O Allah, (only) the mountain and hill-tops,
the valley bottoms, and the places where trees grow.' "

Anas
added, "It cleared away from Madina like a garment being removed."

Malik said, about a man who missed the prayer of asking for
rain but caught the khutba, and wished to pray in the mosque, or in
his house when he returned, "He is free to do so, or not, as he
wishes."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan from
Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that Zayd ibn Khalid al-
Juhani said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, took the subh prayer with us at Hudaybiyya after it had
rained in the night. When he had finished he went up to the people and
said, 'Do you know what your Lord has said?' They said, 'Allah and His
Messenger know best.' He said, 'Some of my slaves have begun the
morning believing in Me, and others have begun it rejecting Me. As for
those who say, 'We were rained on by the overflowing favour of Allah
and His mercy,' they believe in Me and reject the stars. But as for
those who say, 'We were rained on by such and such a star, they reject
Me and believe in the stars.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to
say, "When a cloud appears from the direction of the sea and then goes
towards ash-Sham, it will be an abundant source of rain."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Hurayra
used to say, when morning came after it had rained on the people, "We
have been rained upon by the rain of Allah's opening," and would then
recite the ayat, "Whatever Allah opens to man of His mercy no-one can
withhold, and whatever He withholds no-one can send forward after Him.
" (Sura 35 ayat 2).