Sahih al-Bukhari #980
Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa)
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الضُّحَى، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمَّا رَأَى مِنَ النَّاسِ إِدْبَارًا قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ سَبْعٌ كَسَبْعِ يُوسُفَ ". فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ سَنَةٌ حَصَّتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى أَكَلُوا الْجُلُودَ وَالْمَيْتَةَ وَالْجِيَفَ، وَيَنْظُرَ أَحَدُهُمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيَرَى الدُّخَانَ مِنَ الْجُوعِ، فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّكَ تَأْمُرُ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ وَبِصِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ وَإِنَّ قَوْمَكَ قَدْ هَلَكُوا، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ لَهُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {عَائِدُونَ * يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَى} فَالْبَطْشَةُ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ، وَقَدْ مَضَتِ الدُّخَانُ وَالْبَطْشَةُ وَاللِّزَامُ وَآيَةُ الرُّومِ.
We were with `Abdullah and he said, "When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw the refusal of the people to accept Islam
he said, "O Allah! Send (famine) years on them for (seven years) like the seven years (of famine
during the time) of (Prophet) Joseph." So famine overtook them for one year and destroyed every kind
of life to such an extent that the people started eating hides, carcasses and rotten dead animals.
Whenever one of them looked towards the sky, he would (imagine himself to) see smoke because of
hunger. So Abu Sufyan went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Muhammad! You order people to obey Allah
and to keep good relations with kith and kin. No doubt the people of your tribe are dying, so please
pray to Allah for them." So Allah revealed: "Then watch you For the day that The sky will bring forth
a kind Of smoke Plainly visible ... Verily! You will return (to disbelief) On the day when We shall
seize You with a mighty grasp. (44.10-16) Ibn Mas`ud added, "Al-Batsha (i.e. grasp) happened in the
battle of Badr and no doubt smoke, Al-Batsha, Al-Lizam, and the verse of Surat Ar-Rum have all
passed .
Narrated by Narrated Masruq:
Context
This hadith recounts a time when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ observed the people's refusal to accept Islam and prayed for a famine to strike them, similar to the famine during the time of Prophet Joseph. The ensuing hardship led to severe suffering among the people, prompting Abu Sufyan to request the Prophet ﷺ to pray for their relief. This narrative emphasizes the consequences of turning away from faith and the importance of divine guidance.
Modern Application
In contemporary life, this hadith serves as a reminder of the significance of making Dua for ourselves and others, especially in times of hardship. It encourages us to seek divine intervention and support for those in need, reinforcing the communal aspect of faith.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Warning and Divine Revelation because it reflects a warning issued by the Prophet ﷺ regarding the consequences of disbelief and highlights the divine response to the people's actions.
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سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ
Al-Maaida (The Table)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
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قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ۛ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۭ ۛ يَتِيهُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ
[Allah] said, "Then indeed, it is forbidden to them for forty years [in which] they will wander throughout the land. So do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people."
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Al-Baqara (The Cow)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍۢ وَٰحِدٍۢ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًۭا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allah [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.
سُورَةُ عَبَسَ
Abasa (He frowned)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
The Prophet frowned and turned away
سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ
Al-A'raaf (The Heights)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِٱلسِّنِينَ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
And We certainly seized the people of Pharaoh with years of famine and a deficiency in fruits that perhaps they would be reminded.
سُورَةُ النَّحۡلِ
An-Nahl (The Bee)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا قَرْيَةًۭ كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةًۭ مُّطْمَئِنَّةًۭ يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًۭا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍۢ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَذَٰقَهَا ٱللَّهُ لِبَاسَ ٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ
And Allah presents an example: a city which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing.
Common Words
113 total96 unique11 repeated
ٱلله6x
من4x
قال2x
عليهم2x
ٱلأرض2x
على2x
لنا2x
هو2x
ذلك2x
كانوا2x
بما2x
فإنها1x
محرمة1x
أربعين1x
سنة1x
يتيهون1x
فى1x
فلا1x
تأس1x
ٱلقوم1x
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About Sahih al-Bukhari
This hadith is #980 from Sahih al-Bukhari, in the Book of Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Masruq:.