Para ulama fikih sepakat bahwa keluar untuk memohon hujan, menjauh dari tempat tinggal, berdoa kepada Allah dan memohon kepada-Nya agar menurunkan hujan adalah sunnah yang ditetapkan oleh Rasulullah ﷺ. Mereka berbeda pendapat tentang salat untuk meminta hujan. Mayoritas berpendapat bahwa salat itu termasuk salah satu sunnah ketika keluar untuk memohon hujan, kecuali Abu Hanifah yang berkata bahwa salat (yang berbentuk formal) itu sendiri bukan termasuk sunnahnya. Sebab perbedaan ini berasal dari pertentangan riwayat-riwayat. Dalam sebagian riwayat disebutkan bahwa Nabi ﷺ berdoa memohon hujan dan juga salat, sedangkan dalam riwayat-riwayat lain salat tidak disebutkan. Salah satu riwayat yang paling terkenal tentang bahwa beliau memang salat, dan yang menjadi sandaran mayoritas ulama, adalah riwayat 'Abbad bin Tamim dari pamannya, bahwa Rasulullah ﷺ memimpin orang-orang keluar untuk berdoa memohon hujan, lalu beliau memimpin mereka salat dua rakaat, di dalamnya beliau membaca dengan keras, mengangkat kedua tangannya sampai bahu, membalik selendangnya, menghadap kiblat, dan berdoa memohon hujan. Hadis ini diriwayatkan oleh al-Bukhari dan Muslim. Riwayat-riwayat yang menyebutkan doa tetapi tidak menyebutkan salat antara lain adalah riwayat Anas bin Malik yang diriwayatkan oleh Muslim, bahwa ia berkata: "Seorang laki-laki datang kepada Rasulullah ﷺ lalu berkata, 'Wahai Rasulullah, hewan-hewan ternak mati (karena kehausan), jalan-jalan terputus, maka berdoalah kepada Allah.' Rasulullah ﷺ pun berdoa, lalu hujan turun dari Jumat ke Jumat berikutnya." Di antara mereka juga terdapat riwayat dari 'Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mazini, yang berkata, "Rasulullah ﷺ keluar dan berdoa meminta hujan. Beliau membalikkan selendangnya ketika menghadap kiblat." Dalam riwayat ini tidak disebutkan shalat. Mereka yang mengambil makna lahiriah riwayat ini berpendapat bahwa hal ini juga diriwayatkan dari 'Umar bin al-Khaththab, yaitu bahwa ia keluar ke tempat shalat lalu berdoa, tetapi tidak shalat. Argumen mayoritas ulama adalah bahwa jika suatu riwayat tidak menyebutkan sesuatu, hal itu tidak dapat dijadikan dalil untuk menentang riwayat yang menyebutkannya. Implikasi dari pertentangan riwayat-riwayat ini adalah bahwa shalat bukanlah syarat sahnya doa meminta hujan, karena telah ditetapkan bahwa Nabi ﷺ "berdoa meminta hujan dari atas mimbar", tetapi tidak berarti bahwa shalat bukan termasuk sunnah-sunnah shalat istisqa', sebagaimana dipegang oleh Abu Hanifah. Mereka yang berpendapat bahwa shalat termasuk sunnah-sunnah shalat istisqa' sepakat bahwa khutbah juga termasuk sunnahnya, karena disebutkan dalam sebuah riwayat. Ibnu al-Mundzir berkata bahwa telah ditetapkan bahwa Rasulullah ﷺ melaksanakan shalat istisqa' dan menyampaikan khutbah. Mereka berbeda pendapat tentang apakah khutbah disampaikan sebelum atau sesudah shalat, karena adanya pertentangan riwayat dalam hal ini. Satu kelompok berpendapat bahwa khutbah dilakukan setelah shalat, berdasarkan qiyas dengan dua shalat 'Id. Pendapat ini didukung oleh Malik dan al-Syafi'i. Al-Laits bin Sa'd berkata bahwa khutbah disampaikan sebelum shalat. Ibnu al-Mundzir berkata, "Diriwayatkan dari Nabi ﷺ bahwa beliau berdoa meminta hujan dan menyampaikan khutbah sebelum shalat," dan hal yang sama juga diriwayatkan dari Umar bin al-Khaththab, dan itulah yang kami terima. Al-Qadhi (Ibnu Rusyd) berkata bahwa hal ini diriwayatkan oleh Abu Dawud melalui berbagai jalur, dan mereka yang menyebutkan khutbah, sepengetahuan saya, menyatakan bahwa khutbah disampaikan sebelum shalat. Mereka sepakat bahwa bacaan dalam khutbah tersebut hendaknya dikeraskan, tetapi mereka berbeda pendapat tentang apakah jumlah takbir yang diucapkan di dalamnya harus sama dengan jumlah takbir dalam dua shalat 'id. Malik berpendapat bahwa takbir diucapkan di dalamnya sebagaimana dalam shalat-shalat biasa, sedangkan al-Syafi'i berpendapat bahwa takbir diucapkan sebagaimana dalam shalat 'id. Perbedaan pendapat mereka berasal dari perselisihan mereka mengenai qiyas (analogi) terhadap kedua shalat tersebut. Al-Syafi'i berargumen untuk pendapatnya dengan bersandar pada riwayat dari Ibnu 'Abbas, "bahwa Rasulullah ﷺ melaksanakan dua rakaat di dalamnya sebagaimana dilaksanakan dalam shalat 'id." Mereka sepakat bahwa salah satu sunnahnya adalah imam menghadap kiblat dalam keadaan berdiri, lalu berdoa, membalikkan selendangnya, dan mengangkat kedua tangannya, sebagaimana diriwayatkan dalam berbagai hadits. Namun mereka berbeda pendapat tentang tata cara melakukannya dan tentang waktu kapan hal itu dilakukan. Mengenai cara melakukannya, mayoritas ulama berpendapat bahwa imam memindahkan selendangnya dari sisi kanan ke bahu kiri, dan dari sisi kiri ke bahu kanan. Asy-Syafi'i berpendapat bahwa ia hendaknya membalikkan bagian bawah ke atas, yaitu yang di sebelah kanannya ke sebelah kirinya, dan yang di sebelah kirinya ke sebelah kanannya. Sebab perbedaan pendapat mereka berasal dari pertentangan riwayat-riwayat tentang masalah ini. Diriwayatkan dalam hadits 'Abdullah bin Zaid bahwa Nabi ﷺ keluar ke tempat salat untuk memohon hujan. Beliau menghadap kiblat, membalikkan selendangnya, dan salat dua rakaat. Dalam sebagian versi riwayat ini disebutkan: "Aku bertanya: 'Apakah beliau menjadikan sisi kiri ke sebelah kanan dan sisi kanan ke sebelah kiri, atau membalikkan bagian bawah ke atas?' Ia menjawab: 'Sebenarnya beliau membalikkan sisi kiri ke sebelah kanan dan sisi kanan ke sebelah kiri.'" Selain itu, dalam riwayat orang yang sama, 'Abdullah, disebutkan bahwa ia berkata: "Rasulullah ﷺ berdoa memohon hujan, dan ketika itu beliau mengenakan baju hitam yang beliau miliki. Beliau berusaha mengambil bagian bawahnya untuk membalikkannya ke atas, tetapi ketika itu sulit dilakukan, beliau pun meletakkannya di atas kedua pundaknya." Mengenai kapan imam diharuskan melakukan hal ini, Malik dan asy-Syafi'i sama-sama berpendapat bahwa ia melakukannya setelah menyampaikan khotbah. Abu Yusuf berpendapat bahwa ia membalikkan selendangnya ketika bagian awal khotbah telah selesai. Pendapat ini juga diriwayatkan dari Malik. Mereka semua berpandangan bahwa jika imam membalikkan selendangnya saat berdiri, maka orang-orang hendaknya membalikkan selendang mereka saat duduk, berdasarkan sabda Nabi ﷺ: "Imam itu diangkat untuk diikuti." Pengecualiannya adalah Muhammad bin al-Hasan, al-Laits bin Sa'd, dan sebagian murid Malik. Para makmum (yang shalat di belakang imam) menurut pandangan mereka tidak boleh membalikkan jubah mereka karena imam membalikkan jubahnya, sebab hal ini tidak diriwayatkan dalam hadits-hadits tentang shalat Nabi ﷺ ketika beliau memimpin mereka. Sekelompok ahli fikih berpendapat bahwa waktu keluar untuk shalat ini sama dengan waktu keluar untuk shalat Id, kecuali Abu Bakar ibn Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn Hazm, yang berkata bahwa waktu keluarnya untuk shalat ini adalah ketika matahari condong (tergelincir). Diriwayatkan oleh Abu Dawud dari 'Aisyah bahwa Rasulullah ﷺ keluar untuk shalat memohon hujan ketika tepi matahari telah tampak.

The jurists agreed that going out for seeking rain, moving away from the dwelling area, supplicating Allah and entreating Him to sending down rain is a sunna established by the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him). They disagreed about prayer (saldh) for rain. The majority maintain that this is one of the sunan when going out for seeking rain, except that Abu HanTfa said that (formal) prayer itself is not one of its sunan. The reason for disagreement stems from the conflict of traditions. It is related in some traditions that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) made supplications for rain and also prayed, but in other traditions (formal) prayer is not mentioned. One of the best known traditions on the point that he did pray, and which was relied upon by the majority, is the tradition of ‘Abbad ibn TamTm from his (paternal) uncle “that the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) led the people out to make a supplication for rain and there he led them in a prayer of two rakfas in which he recited audibly, raised his hands up to his shoulders, turned his cloak inside out, faced the qibla, and made a supplication for rain”. It has been recorded by a l-BukharT and Muslim. The traditions in which, supplication is.mentioned but prayer is not include the tradition of Anas ibn Malik, which is recorded by Muslim, that he said, “A man came up to the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the animals are dying (of thirst), the paths have been blocked, so make a supplication to Allah’. The Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) made a supplication, and then the rain poured from one Friday to the next”. There is also, among them, the tradition of cAbd Allah ibn Zayd al-Mazinl, in which he said, “The Messenger of Allah went out and made a supplication for rain. He turned his cloak inside out when he faced the qibla”. Prayer was not mentioned in this tradition. Those who adopted the apparent meaning of this tradition thought that this is related from TJmar ibn al-Khattab, that is, he went out to the place of prayer and made a supplication, but did not pray. The argument of the majority is that because a tradition does not mention something, it cannot be used as evidence against that which does. The implications of the conflict of the traditions is that prayer is not a condition for the validity of the supplication for rain, for it has been established that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) “made a supplication for rain from the pulpit”, but not that it (prayer) is not one of the sunan for rain, as has been held by Abu HanTfa. Those who maintained that prayer is one of the sunan for rain agreed that the sermon is also one of its sunan, because of its occurrence in a tradition. Ibn al-Mundhir said that it is established that the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) observed the prayer for rain* and delivered a sermon. They disagreed then on whether it should be delivered before the prayer or after it, because of the conflict of traditions on this point. One group maintained that it is after the prayer on the analogy of the two 'id prayers. This was upheld by Malik and al-ShafiT. Al-Layth ibn SaM said that the sermon is to be delivered prior to prayer. Ibn al-Mundhir has said that “it is related from the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) that he made a supplication for rain and delivered the sermon before prayer,” and the same has been related from TJmar ibn al-Khattab and that is what we accept. The QadT (Ibn Rushd) said that this has been recorded by Abu Dawud through different channels, and those who mention the sermon state, to my knowledge, that it is delivered before the prayer. They agreed that the recitation in it is to be audible, but they differed on whether the (the number of) takbirs to be pronounced in it should be the same as that in the two 'id prayers. Malik held that the takbirs are to be pronounced in it as they are in the ordinary prayers, while al-Shafici maintained that the takbirs are to be pronounced in it as they are in the 'id prayers. The reason for their disagreement arises from their dispute about its analogy over the two prayers. Al-Shafi T argued for c his opinion by relying on what has been related from Ibn €Abbas “that the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) observed two rak'-as in it as they are observed in the *id prayers”. They agreed that one of its practices (sunan) is that the imam should face the qibla while standing, and he should make a supplication, turn his cloak inside out, and raise his hands, as has been related in the traditions. They disagreed, however, about the manner of doing this, and about the time when he should do it. With respect to the question as to how it is done, the majority’ maintain that he should turn his cloak from the right side on to his left (shoulder) and that on his left side to his right (shoulder). Al-ShaficT said that he should turn the lower part upward, what is on his right to his left, and what is on the left to his right. The reason for their disagreement derives from the conflict of traditions on the issue. It is reported in the tradition of €Abd Allah ibn Zayd “that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) went out to the place of prayer to make a supplication for rain. He faced the qibla, turned his cloak, and prayed two rak'as”. In some of its versions the tradition says, “I said: ‘Did he place the left side toward the right and the right toward the left, or did he turn the lower part toward the top?’ He said, ‘In fact, he turned the left over to the right and the right over to the left’”. Further, it is recorded in the tradition of this (person) cAbd Allah that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) made a supplication for rain and (at that time) he was wearing a black shirt that he had. He tried to take hold of its lower part to turn it toward the top, but when this became difficult he placed it over his shoulders”. As to when the imam is required to do this, both Malik and al-Shafi T said c that he does this after delivering the sermon. Abu Yusuf held that he turns his cloak when the early part of the sermon is over. This has also been related from Malik. All of them maintain that if the imam turns his cloak while standing the people are to turn theirs while sitting, because of the words of the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him), “The imam has been appointed so that he be followed”. The exception are Muhammad ibn al- Hasan, al-Layth ibn SaM, and some of the disciples of Malik. The followers (behind the imam) in their view are not to turn their cloaks because of the imam's turning his, as this has not been reported in the traditions about the Prophet’s prayer when he led them. A group of jurists held that the time of departure for this prayer is the same as that of the Hd prayers, except for Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn cAmr ibn Hazm, who said that the time for departure for it is at the declining of the sun. It is reported by Abu Dawud from cA*isha “that the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) departed for the supplication for rain when the rim of the sun had appeared”.