Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of The Prayer For Rain (Kitab al-Istisqa')

Abbad b. Tamim (al-Muzini) reported on the authority of his uncle:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took the people out (to the place of prayer) and prayed for rain. He led them in two rak'ahs of prayer in the course of which he recited from the Qur'an in a loud voice. He turned around his cloak and raised his hands, prayed for rain and faced the qiblah

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ بِالنَّاسِ لِيَسْتَسْقِيَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ جَهَرَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فِيهِمَا وَحَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَدَعَا وَاسْتَسْقَى وَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ .

Abbad b. Tamim al Mazini said on the authority of his uncle (Abd Allah b. Zaid b Asim) who was a Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to make supplication for rain. He turned his back towards the people praying to Allah, the Exalted. The narrator Sulaiman b. Dawud said: He faced the qiblah and turned around his cloak and then offered two rak'ahs of prayer. The narrator Ibn Abi Dhi'b said: He recited from the Qur'an in both of them. The version of Ibn al-Sarh adds: By it he means in a loud voice.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ السَّرْحِ، وَسُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، وَيُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبَّادُ بْنُ تَمِيمٍ الْمَازِنِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَمَّهُ، - وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا يَسْتَسْقِي فَحَوَّلَ إِلَى النَّاسِ ظَهْرَهُ يَدْعُو اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ وَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَحَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ - قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ - وَقَرَأَ فِيهِمَا زَادَ ابْنُ السَّرْحِ يُرِيدُ الْجَهْرَ .

The above-mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Muhammad b. Muslim through a different chain of narrators. But there is no mention of prayer in this version. The version adds:
"He turned around his cloak, putting its right side on his left shoulder and its left side on his right shoulder. Thereafter he made supplication to Allah."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ - يَعْنِي الْحِمْصِيَّ - عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الصَّلاَةَ قَالَ وَحَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ فَجَعَلَ عِطَافَهُ الأَيْمَنَ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ الأَيْسَرِ وَجَعَلَ عِطَافَهُ الأَيْسَرَ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ الأَيْمَنِ ثُمَّ دَعَا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ .

Abd Allah b. Zaid said:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)prayed for rain wearing a black robe with ornamented border. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)wanted to reverse it from bottom to top by holding the bottom. But when it was too heavy he turned it round on his shoulders.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ غَزِيَّةَ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ اسْتَسْقَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَلَيْهِ خَمِيصَةٌ لَهُ سَوْدَاءُ فَأَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ بِأَسْفَلِهَا فَيَجْعَلَهُ أَعْلاَهَا فَلَمَّا ثَقُلَتْ قَلَبَهَا عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ .

Abd Allah b. Zaid said:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)went out to the place of prayer to pray for rain. When he wanted to make supplication, he faced the qiblah and turned around his cloak.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ بِلاَلٍ - عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى يَسْتَسْقِي وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ ثُمَّ حَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ .

Narrated Abd Allah b. Zaid al Mazini:
Abd Allah b. Zaid al Mazini said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went out to the place of prayer and made supplication or rain, and turned around his cloak when the faced the qiblah.

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبَّادَ بْنَ تَمِيمٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زَيْدٍ الْمَازِنِيَّ، يَقُولُ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى فَاسْتَسْقَى وَحَوَّلَ رِدَاءَهُ حِينَ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Kinanah reported: Al-Walid ibn Utbah or (according to the version of Uthman) al-Walid ibn Uqbah, the then governor of Medina, sent me to Ibn Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain offered by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out wearing old clothes in a humble and lowly manner until he reached the place of prayer. He then ascended the pulpit, but he did not deliver the sermon as you deliver (usually). He remained engaged in making supplication, showing humbleness (to Allah) and uttering the takbir (Allah is most great). He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer as done on the 'Id (festival).

Abu Dawud said: This is the version of al-Nufail. What is correct is Ibn Utbah's

حَدَّثَنَا النُّفَيْلِيُّ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، نَحْوَهُ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كِنَانَةَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، أَرْسَلَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ - قَالَ عُثْمَانُ ابْنُ عُقْبَةَ وَكَانَ أَمِيرَ الْمَدِينَةِ - إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ صَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُصَلَّى - زَادَ عُثْمَانُ فَرَقِيَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا - وَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطَبَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالإِخْبَارُ لِلنُّفَيْلِيِّ وَالصَّوَابُ ابْنُ عُتْبَةَ .

Narrated Umayr, the client of AbulLahm:

Umayr saw the Prophet ﷺ praying for rain at Ahjar az-Zayt near az-Zawra', standing, making supplication, praying for rain and raising his hands in front of his face, but not lifting them above his head.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الْمُرَادِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ حَيْوَةَ، وَعُمَرَ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عُمَيْرٍ، مَوْلَى بَنِي آبِي اللَّحْمِ أَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَسْتَسْقِي عِنْدَ أَحْجَارِ الزَّيْتِ قَرِيبًا مِنَ الزَّوْرَاءِ قَائِمًا يَدْعُو يَسْتَسْقِي رَافِعًا يَدَيْهِ قِبَلَ وَجْهِهِ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ بِهِمَا رَأْسَهُ .

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The people came to the Prophet ﷺ weeping (due to drought). He said (making supplication): O Allah! give us rain which will replenish us, abundant, fertilising and profitable, not injurious, granting it now without delay. He (the narrator) said: Thereupon the sky became overcast.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ الْفَقِيرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بَوَاكِي فَقَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا غَيْثًا مُغِيثًا مَرِيئًا مَرِيعاً نَافِعًا غَيْرَ ضَارٍّ عَاجِلاً غَيْرَ آجِلٍ " . قَالَ فَأَطْبَقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ .

Narrated Anas:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not accustomed to raise his hands in any supplication he made except when praying for rain. He would then raise them high enough so much so that the whiteness of his armpits was visible.

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ .