Members of the local Muslim community bowed, knelt and swayed their bodies toward the northeast corner of the room – in line with Mecca – praying to God for “ghaith,” the Arabic word for “perfect rain.”
As an unseasonably warm light flooded into the John Wooden Center’s Pyramid Room Friday, about 60 members of the Muslim community prayed to put an end to the drought affecting Southern California.
“I went (into the prayer) with strength of conviction that it will work and God will work for you,” said Nida Aslam, a third-year English student and the external vice president of the Muslim Students Association.
The prayer was part of the Muslim Students Association’s weekly service. The students added the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer – a rite asking God for rain during a prolonged drought – to their gathering.
Salma Elmalaki, a graduate student in electrical engineering, said “Salatul Istisqa” requests that God bring prosperous rain.
“Allah will give you a suitable rain – not a flood, not a drizzle,” Elmalaki said.
Muslim student groups at the University of Southern California, Santa Monica College and UC Irvine have also placed special prayers to end the drought, said Aslam.
For the past several weeks, Los Angeles County has experienced an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state-wide drought emergency in mid-January, urging Californians to cut back on their water use.
Aslam said several Muslim student organizations conducted the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer at universities in Northern California Feb. 7. Rain followed several days after, showing the effectiveness of the prayer, she added.
“Every time I’ve heard (a group praying the prayer), it has worked within the next few days,” Aslam said.
The imam, the leader of a Muslim service, performed the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer at the end of Friday’s service
He asked community members to quietly engage with the prayer as he recited it in Arabic. Individuals at the service occasionally responded with a quiet hum or occasional nod, but many people silently reflected on the prayer’s meaning.
Aslam said the prayer comes directly from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder and prophet of Islam.
According to traditional beliefs, the Prophet Muhammad said the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer when a follower asked him to alleviate a drought plaguing his homeland. While in the midst of Friday prayer, the Prophet turned to the direction of Mecca and asked God for rain, and it rained the following day.
Though they participated in the service, some students said they held reservations about the prayer’s effectiveness.
Abdallah Alturki, a first-year chemistry student, said he thinks God may not accept the community’s prayer for reasons people cannot understand.
“Maybe He wants us to come back (and pray more), or (there is) another reason – we have no clue,” Alturki said.
If the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer does not work, Aslam said the Muslim Students Association at UCLA will perform the prayer again during this week’s Friday service.
It will inevitably rain eventually and of course, these idiots will think their idiotic prayer to Allah is what caused it.
It’s more idiotic for not respecting other people’s beliefs.
Now, now F.U. (interesting name may I say), don’t be so ignorant. Btw, have you considered specializing in trolling? Your provocative attitude fits with it very well
Here are some more details on the rain prayer, from a Muslim’s perspective:
Muslims believe that the One God has power over all things, including rain, and that all the food the earth produces is by His Mercy alone. In the Qur’an it says:
“Then let mankind look at his food – How We poured down water in torrents, Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], And caused to grow within it grain. And grapes and herbage, And olive and palm trees, And gardens of dense shrubbery, And fruit and grass -” [Qur’an 80:24-31].
Muslims also believe that God has the power to give and withhold His Bounty as He wishes. They believe that everyone is dependent on His provision:
“Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?” [69:31].
In the Qur’an, Muslims are encouraged to turn to God for help when they are in need, and to thank Him when they are blessed with bounty. They believe that if provision comes, it is by His Mercy, and if it does not, it is because something is deficient in their prayers, or in their own conduct. They believe that even if their prayers are not answered immediately, turning to God brings them closer to Him. They believe that this helps them improve as human beings. In such times they increase their prayers and community service with the intention of pleasing God, out of gratefulness for what He has given them, in the present and in the past.
The rain prayer is offered with the hope that everyone in California will benefit. Muslims believe that God is the only one with the power to bring the rain. They believe that He is the Appreciative, the Aware, the Most Merciful, and the Best of Helpers.
Oh really? “Comment was deleted” because I merely pointed out that these Muslims will claim their “allah” made the inevitable rain happen thanks to their prayers? I didn’t even mention the fact that the 53 year old Islamic “prophet” muhammed raped the 9 year old Aisha.
some one should explain to these idiot how the weather system works. maybe the snow in the hills could be a clue. and perhaps if they were not setting off some many IED’sor Suicide Bombs the heat would not cause global warming as much