Why does Allah withhold rain?
Our Lord Almighty says in His Noble Book:
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?”
Surah al-Anbiya, 21:30
This is a fact that we see and recognise every day. Allah is the One who created water and sends water down from the sky. Through this favour and blessing, we are able to survive and live.
Scientific reasons we do not have water
Scientifically, we know that no other planet has yet been shown to support life as Earth does. Water is essential for life. Yet this favour, which we take for granted, is something that we might lose. There are scientific reasons for that, and there are also spiritual and divine reasons. From a scientific point of view, why do we experience drought?
As we can see, we have been suffering, especially this year, the year before and the year before that, from a shortage of water. There are many scientific factors that can lead to drought. These include high-pressure systems, changes in wind patterns, climate change, low atmospheric humidity, deforestation, topography and many other causes. That is the scientific view of why we experience drought.
Divine reasons we do not have water
In the Qur’an, however, we are also shown a divine perspective. When Allah Almighty wants to withhold or remove one of His favours from us, no one can prevent it. Whether it is water, life or provision, it is all under Allah’s control because He is the Creator.
Sinning
When you read through the verses of the Qur’an and consider why Allah sometimes sent drought at different stages and times in history, you find that one of the main reasons is sin. When people exceed the limits and go beyond the boundaries, one of the lessons Allah may teach them is by sending one of His forces.
Drought is one of the forces of Allah, just as rain is one of His forces. Allah sends these signs so that people may wake up and consider how they can return to Him and receive His favours again.
The link between istighfar and rain
In Surah Nuh, Allah Almighty says:
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا
“Saying, ‘Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, for He is truly Most Forgiving. He will shower you with abundant rain.’”
Surah Nuh, 71:10–11
Allah links rain with seeking forgiveness for a very important reason. When you sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness, He may give back what has been taken from you.
In another verse, Allah Almighty says in Surah al-Jinn:
وَأَلَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا
“Had they remained steadfast upon the Way, We would have given them abundant water.”
Surah al-Jinn, 72:16
Allah therefore links istiqamah, remaining steadfast upon the straight path, with His favour of rain.
In Surah al-A‘raf, Allah says:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“Had the people of those societies been faithful and mindful of Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from heaven and earth. But they denied the truth, so We seized them for what they used to commit.”
Surah al-A‘raf, 7:96
Allah links the blessings of the heavens and the earth with taqwa and iman, alongside the scientific causes that we recognise.
Then, in Surah al-Rum, Allah Almighty says:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
“Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste some of the consequences of their deeds, and perhaps they might return.”
Surah al-Rum, 30:41
Corruption has appeared on land and at sea because of what people’s own hands have earned, so that Allah may allow them to experience some of the consequences of what they have done, in the hope that they might return.
This corruption includes climate change and global warming. Who has done this? You tell me. It is the work of our own hands. Therefore, if we want to fix it, we need to return to Allah Almighty. Of course, we must also follow the practical means required to repair it. We cannot fix everything through salah alone while ignoring our responsibilities. No, definitely not.
As you can see, Allah mentions the causes behind some of these events and shows how they may bring people back to Him.
Withholding charity
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also teaches us in the Sunnah about reasons connected with drought. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ إِلَّا مُنِعُوا الْقَطْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، وَلَوْلَا الْبَهَائِمُ لَمْ يُمْطَرُوا
“They do not withhold the zakah of their wealth except that rain is withheld from the sky; and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall upon them.”
Sunan Ibn Majah
People may be afflicted by signs from Allah so that they return to Him. They never withhold the zakah of their wealth except that rain is withheld from the sky. Were it not for the animals, they might receive no rain at all. Therefore, paying your zakah affects the blessings and provision that you receive from Allah Almighty.
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُحْرَمُ الرِّزْقَ بِالذَّنْبِ يُصِيبُهُ
“A person may be deprived of provision because of a sin that he commits.”
Ibn Majah and Ahmad
Drought occurred during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, and it has occurred many times in every century. You also remember the story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) in the Qur’an and the seven difficult years that the people faced.
Drought also occurred during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The people came to him complaining about the lack of rain and asked him to pray for the calamity to be removed.
They said, “O Messenger of Allah, our animals are dying and the roads have been cut off. Supplicate to Allah to send us rain.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands and said:
اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا، اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا، اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا
“O Allah, give us rain. O Allah, give us rain. O Allah, give us rain.”
Rain then came down in abundance and continued until the following Friday. The people returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and complained that the rain had become too heavy. Their property was being destroyed and the roads had been cut off.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands again and said:
اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلَا عَلَيْنَا، اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الْآكَامِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَبُطُونِ الْأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ
“O Allah, let it fall around us and not upon us. O Allah, let it fall upon the plateaus and hills, in the valleys and upon the places where trees grow.”
Sahih al-Bukhari
The rain then moved away from Madinah and fell around it.
Rain and drought are among the signs and favours of Allah, and they can bring people back to Him. These hadith and verses of the Qur’an teach us that we need to see events through different lenses. We should not view them only through the scientific lens but also through the divine lens.
Moral drought
Although drought is a severe sign that affects many aspects of life, the effects of physical drought can, to some degree, be repaired. The more difficult drought is a moral drought, in which people lose their humanity.
When people lose their values and their compassion, this is even more serious than the physical drought that we are facing. Unfortunately, we are now suffering a double whammy. We have a physical drought, and we have a moral drought in our response to our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere. We are suffering from a moral drought that is even more serious than the loss of water and grain.
We therefore need to think about how we can repair both the physical drought and the moral drought: on a personal level, within our communities and across the Ummah.
We need to act
Allah sends His forces to teach us lessons. We should not be people of ghaflah (people of heedlessness and forgetfulness), or people who deceive themselves into believing that everything is fine. No, it is not fine. We cannot say that it is business as usual. No, it is not business as usual.
There are major challenges in our lives today that will hit our children and grandchildren. We need to take appropriate action in the correct way to repair the damage. This applies to climate change and global warming, which will seriously affect our children and grandchildren. It also applies to the moral drought, which is even more serious. When you lose your humanity, it is not a joke. It is a serious challenge that we must face and repair.
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ warned the Ummah against exceeding the limits, because otherwise people may be punished. That punishment may come in different forms as a means of bringing people back to Allah Almighty.
Unless people recognise that something may be a sign calling them to return to Allah, review their record and examine their actions, the situation will not be repaired. If we cannot recognise the problem, we cannot fix it. If we cannot see the problem, we cannot fix it. If we continue telling ourselves that everything is fine, we will never repair it.
Spiritual remedies
From the scientific point of view, there are reasons for drought. From the divine point of view, Allah summarises what our response should be in the Qur’an.
- Istighfar: increase our istighfar and seek Allah’s forgiveness.
- Tawbah: we need tawbah and sincere repentance
- Istiqamah: steadfastness upon the straight path and adherence to the Book of Allah Almighty.
- Paying zakah: we need to fulfil our duties, including paying our zakah, performing our salah and carrying out the other obligations that Allah has placed upon us.
- Reform: we need to fix what we ruined with our hands – the corruption and environmental harm.
Duas
اللَّهُمَّ يَا رَبِّ، يَا رَحْمَنُ، يَا بَدِيعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ الدَّائِمَةَ فِي الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ.
O Allah, O Lord, O Most Merciful, O Originator of the heavens and the earth, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour, we ask You for pardon and lasting well-being in our religion, our worldly lives and the Hereafter.
اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا الْغَيْثَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الْقَانِطِينَ، غَيْثًا مُغِيثًا مَرِيئًا مَرِيعًا نَافِعًا غَيْرَ ضَارٍّ، عَاجِلًا غَيْرَ آجِلٍ.
O Allah, send us rain and do not make us among those who despair. Send us abundant, wholesome and beneficial rain that causes no harm, soon and without delay.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى.
O Allah, we ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and freedom from need.
اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنَا حُسْنَ الْخَاتِمَةِ، وَارْزُقْنَا تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا.
O Allah, grant us a good ending and grant us sincere repentance.
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
“Our Lord, bless us with spouses and offspring who will be the joy of our hearts, and make us examples for the righteous.”
Surah al-Furqan, 25:74
We ask Allah to enable us to be among those who listen attentively to words of wisdom and follow the best of them. O Allah, grant relief to our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan and everywhere else, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, support the oppressed, relieve their suffering, protect them and grant them victory, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Ameen.
Based on the khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 31st August 2026