Rain & Wind

عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الجُهَنِيِّ رضي الله عنه أَنَّهُ قَالَ: صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى إِثْرِ سَمَاءٍ كَانَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ: «هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟» قَالُوا: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، قَالَ: «أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي وَمُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Fajr prayer in Al-Hudaybiyah, a village close to Makkah, after rainfall at night. After he made taslīm and finished the prayer, he turned towards the people and asked them: Do you know what your Almighty Lord has said? They replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: Allah Almighty clarified that people fall under two categories upon rainfall: believers in Allah Almighty and disbelievers in Him. Those who say, "We have had rainfall out of Allah's bounty and mercy," ascribing the rainfall to Allah, are believers in Allah, the Creator, and the Disposer of the affairs of the universe, and they disbelieve in the stars. And those who say, "We have had rainfall due to such and such star," are disbelievers in Allah and believers in the stars. But this is minor disbelief, as they attribute rainfall to a star, while Allah did not make it a cause of rainfall, neither in terms of the Shariah nor in terms of destiny. But as for those who ascribe rainfall and other earthly occurrences to the rise and decline of the stars, believing that they are the actual doer, they have fallen into major disbelief.

• It is recommended to say after rainfall: We have had rainfall out of the grace and mercy of Allah.
• Those who attribute the blessing of rainfall and other things to the stars, believing that they create and bring them into existence, fall into major disbelief. But as for those who attribute rainfall to the stars in believing that they are a mere cause, they fall into minor disbelief, because the stars are not a Shar‘i or material cause for rainfall.
• A blessing can be a cause of disbelief if it is denied or a cause of belief if recognized.
• We are forbidden from saying "We have had rainfall due to such and such star," even if it refers to time, to block the means to polytheism.
• Our hearts should be attached to Allah Almighty regarding bringing blessings and warding off afflictions.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 169) (846)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 83) (71)، البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (2/ 484)، المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (1/ 260).

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها ، قالت: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا عَصَفَت الرِّيح قال: «اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسْأَلُك خَيرها وخير ما فيها وخَير ما أُرسِلت به، وأعوذ بك من شرِّها وشرِّ ما فيها وشرِّ ما أُرسِلت به».

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs us that it was part of the Prophetic guidance that when the wind blew strongly, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would say: O Allah, I ask You for the good of this wind and the good that it contains. The wind that Allah, the Almighty, created is of two types: 1. Normal wind: it is not scary and there is no specific supplication for it. 2. Strong wind: it is scary because Allah, the Almighty, destroyed the people of ‘Ād with a violent barren wind, we ask refuge with Allah from it. Hence, if strong winds start to blow, then follow the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) by saying the following supplication: "O Allah, I ask you for the good of this wind and the good of what is in it and the good of the purpose for which it was sent, and I seek refuge with You from its evil and the evil of what is in it and the evil of the purpose for which it was sent." In other words, You ask Allah for all the good associated with this wind and you seek His protection from all the evil associated with it. That is because the wind may be sent with good and it may be sent with evil. It may lead to prosperity and it may lead to destruction.

نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ الطبعة الرابعة عشر 1407 هـ بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي ، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م صحيح مسلم، تأليف: مسلم بن الحجاج النيسابوري، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي - بيروت. رياض الصالحين، تأليف : محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي ، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل ، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: علي بن سلطان القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ مرعاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: عبيد الله بن محمد المباركفوري، الناشر: إدارة البحوث العلمية والدعوة والإفتاء، الطبعة: الثالثة - 1404 هـ شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محمد بن صالح العثيمين، الناشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الطبعة: 1426 هـ شرح الطيبي على مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: شرف الدين الحسين بن عبد الله الطيبي، تحقيق: د. عبد الحميد هنداوي، الناشر: مكتبة نزار مصطفى الباز - مكة المكرمة - الرياض - الطبعة: الأولى، 1417 هـ - 1997 م.

عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لاَ تَسُبُّوا الرِّيحَ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَكْرَهُونَ فَقُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ هَذِهِ الرِّيحِ وَخَيْرِ مَا فِيهَا وَخَيْرِ مَا أُمِرَتْ بِهِ، وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ هَذِهِ الرِّيحِ وَشَرِّ مَا فِيهَا وَشَرِّ مَا أُمِرَتْ بِهِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade insulting or cursing the wind, for it is commanded by its Creator. It comes with both mercy and punishment, and cursing it is equivalent to cursing Allah, its Creator, and being displeased with His decree. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then guided us to turn to Allah, its Creator, by asking Him for the good of the wind, the good that is within it, and the good for which it has been sent, such as bringing rain or transferring pollen and similar benefits. He also taught us to seek refuge in Allah from its evil, the evil within it, and the evil for which it has been sent, such as destroying crops, trees, livestock, demolishing buildings, etc. Asking Allah in this way affirms servitude to Him.

• The prohibition of cursing the wind is because it is a created being managed by divine order. Therefore, cursing it ultimately returns to its Creator and Manager, which reflects a deficiency in one's monotheism.
• Turning to Allah and seeking refuge with Him from the evil of what He has created.
• The wind can be commanded to bring good, and it can also be commanded to bring evil.
• Ibn Bāz said: Cursing the wind is among the sins, as it is a created being managed by divine order sent with both good and evil. Hence, it is not permissible to curse it, nor is it permissible to say: "May Allah curse the wind," or "May Allah fight the wind," or "May Allah not bless this wind," or anything similar. Rather, a believer should act according to the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
• The prohibition of cursing and insulting the wind also applies to other aspects related to heat, cold, the sun, dust, and anything else that is part of Allah's creation and His management.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 103) (2252). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص426). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص382). القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، لابن عثيمين (2/ 379).