UAE Friday sermon: ask God for forgiveness to be blessed with rain

The sermon will tell mosque-goers that Allah answers the prayers of His believers

Ask God for forgiveness so He might bless us with rain, mosque-goers will be told on Friday.

It is through piety, obedience, performing acts that bring Allah's satisfaction and avoiding what He prohibited that believers can attain His bounties and blessings "and [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant water." (Al-Jinn: 16).

The sermon will tell worshippers that the Prophets encouraged people to seek Allah’s pardoning and told them of the rewards of doing so.

About them, the Quran says, "and O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength,” (Hood: 52).

God is generous in His giving, mosque-goers will hear. The gateways of heaven will be opened to those who seek His refuge and He will protect them from harm, relieve their distress and show mercy upon the weak among them.

At times of drought, Prophet Mohammed would guide Muslims to turn to Allah and pray to Him for rain.

It was narrated that a Bedouin said to the Prophet "O Messenger of Allah! Our possessions are being destroyed and the children are hungry; please invoke Allah (for rain)".

So the Prophet raised his hands. The narrator said, "At that time there was not a trace of cloud in the sky. By Him in Whose Hands my soul is as soon as he lowered his hands, clouds gathered like mountains, and before he got down from the pulpit, I saw the rain falling on the beard of the Prophet. It rained that day, the next day, the third day, the fourth day till the next Friday."

The same Bedouin stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger pbuh! The houses have collapsed, our possessions and livestock have been drowned; please invoke Allah (to protect us)". So the Prophet raised both his hands and said, "O Allah! Round about us and not on us." So, in whatever direction he pointed with his hands, the clouds dispersed and cleared away, and Medina's (sky) became clear as a hole in between the clouds. The valley of Qanat remained flooded, for one month, none came from outside but talked about the abundant rain.

Mosque-goers will be told that this story reminds Muslims to pray to Allah to have wishes granted and repentance accepted.

God decreed that Istisqaa prayer (prayer for rain) should be performed during drought and it was a tradition of the Prophet to pray for rain at such times.