The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques calls for prayers for rain to be held next Thursday

The Saudi Royal Court issued an official statement in which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect and preserve him - called for the performance of the Istisqa’ prayer throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, the 24th of Sha’ban, 1447 AH, according to the Umm al-Qura calendar.

Reviving the Prophet's Sunnah and emphasizing faith values

This noble call is in accordance with the tradition of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who prescribed for his nation to turn to God Almighty when rain is delayed and the land is parched, by seeking rain through the prayer for rain (Istisqa). This ritual is a manifestation of our dependence on the Creator, the Exalted, and an embodiment of our profound reliance on Him to bring benefit and avert harm.

The royal statement urged all Muslims in the Kingdom to prepare for this great ritual through a number of good deeds that are hoped to lead to answered prayers, most notably:

• Increase your repentance and seeking forgiveness: sins are a cause of being denied, and repentance is a cause of giving and blessing.
• Returning to God: through renewing the covenant with Him, the Almighty, and maintaining the religious obligations.
• Kindness to people: through giving charity and relieving distress, as showing mercy to creation brings about the mercy of the Creator.
• Making things easier for those in financial difficulty: maintaining kinship ties and rejecting animosity and hatred.

The importance of the prayer for rain in Saudi society

The prayer for rain (Istisqa) holds immense importance in Saudi society, not only as a religious rite but also as an event that unites hearts and fosters solidarity in turning to God. Since its founding, the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has consistently ensured the regular performance of this ritual whenever the country and its people are in need of rain, reflecting the state's commitment to Islamic law in all aspects of life.

The prayer is usually held in open-air prayer grounds and large mosques in all cities, governorates, and towns, where people—young and old, men, women, and children—come out in humble supplication to God Almighty, hoping for His mercy and grace. During the sermon for seeking rain, mosque imams emphasize the importance of piety, warn against sins that withhold rain, and call for reconciliation and harmony among people.

Invitation for everyone to participate

The Royal Court concluded its statement by directing all able citizens and residents to be keen on performing this prayer, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to demonstrate their need and dependence on God Almighty, while being persistent in supplication, for God loves those who are persistent in supplication.

We ask God Almighty to answer the prayers of His servants, to have mercy on the country and its people, to make what He sends down a beneficial, wholesome, and wholesome rain, and to spread its benefit throughout the homeland. He is the All-Hearing, the Responsive.