Prayer at Difficult Moments

During the rule of Sultan Abdur Rehman An-Nasir of Andalusia, Spain was afflicted by a drought. Mere survival became very difficult. The Sultan sent an important person to Qazi Munzir to request him to lead the Istasqa prayer (the prayer to God to give His blessing of rain). The Salaatul Istasqa is a prayer, consisting of two units, performed during the time of drought to ask God for rain. Qazi Munzir asked the messenger of the King: “What was the Sultan himself doing when he sent me the message about prayer?”

The messenger said, “I have never seen him more God-fearing than on this occasion. He is very disturbed. He is in solitude. I have seen him lying prostrate on the ground. His eyes were wet with tears. He acknowledged his sins and he was saying to God in prayer: ‘O God, my forehead is in Your hand (he had prostrated himself with his forehead on the ground). Will You punish the people for my sins?’”

On hearing this, Qazi Munzir felt relieved. He said to the messenger: “Go with rain, certainly it will rain today, because when the ruler of the earth bows in supplication, the Ruler of the Heaven will certainly show mercy.” And so it happened. By the time the messenger reached home, rain had started falling. (Al-Kamil fi at-Tarikh, vol. 7, p. 347)