Prayers on various occasions, - Dought & clear, - * What is the evidencefor offering the prayer for rain (salaat al-istisqa’)?

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What is the evidence for offering the prayer for rain (salaat al-istisqa’)?
Praise be to Allah.
Offering prayers for rain (salaat al-istisqa’) is Sunnah, as confirmed by saheeh hadeeths and the practice of the early generations of Islam. Ibn Qudaamah said: Prayer for rain is a confirmed Sunnah, proven by the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and of his successors (the caliphs – may Allah be pleased with them).
End quote fromal-Mughni, 2/148
Abu Dawood (1165), at-Tirmidhi (558), an-Nasaa’i (1506) and Ibn Maajah (1266) narrated that Ishaaq ibn Abdillah ibn Kinaanah said: al-Waleed ibn ‘Uqbah, who was the governor of Madinah, sent me to ask Ibn ‘Abbaas about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for rain (istisqa’). He said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out wearing modest clothes, walking humbly and beseeching Allah, until he reached the prayer place, where he ascended the minbar, but he did not give a khutbah like this khutbah of yours; rather he continued to offer supplication (du‘aa’), beseech Allah and recite takbeer, then he prayed two rak‘ahs as he used to pray at Eid.
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheehAbi Dawood, etc...
And Allah knows best.

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Prayers on various occasions, - Dought & clear, - * Should he fast on the fifteenth of Sha’baan even if the hadeeth is da'eef?

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Is it permissible, even after finding out that a hadeeth is da’eef (weak), to follow it, by way of doing righteous deeds? The hadeeth says: “When it is halfway through Sha’baan, spend that night in prayer and fast on that day.” The fast is observed as a voluntary act of devotion to Allaah, as is spending that night in prayer (qiyaam al-layl).
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
What is narrated concerning the virtue of praying, fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha’baan (al-nusf min Sha’baan) does not come under the heading of da’eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of mawdoo’ (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing righteous deeds or otherwise.
A number of scholars ruled that the reports concerning that were false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his bookal-Mawdoo’aat, 2/440-445; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah inal-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah al-Shaafa’i inal-Baa’ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith, 124-137; al-‘Iraaqi inTakhreej Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] narrated that there was consensus on the fact that they are false, inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa, 28/138.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inHukm al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan(Ruling on celebrating the fifteenth of Sha’baan):
Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan) by praying etc, or singling out this day for fasting, is a reprehensible bid’ah (innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and there is no basis for this in sharee’ah.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan). All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that are mawdoo’ (fabricated) and da’eef (weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and no recitation of Qur’aan or prayer, whether alone or in congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any special actions. This is the correct view. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511.
See also question no. 8907.
Secondly:
Even if we assume that the hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and not mawdoo’ (fabricated), the correct scholarly view is that weak ahaadeeth should not be followed at all, even if they speak of righteous deeds or of targheeb and tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da’eef reports. Nothing is known in Islam to suggest that this night or day is special, either from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from his companions.
The scholar Ahmad Shaakir said: There is no difference between rulings or righteous deeds; we do not take any of them from da’eef reports, rather no one hast he right to use any report as evidence unless it is proven to be soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a saheeh or hasan hadeeth.
Al-Baa’ith al-Hatheeth, 1/278.
For more information, see:al-Qawl al-Muneef fi Hukm al-‘Aml bi’l-Hadeeth al-Da’eef.
And Allaah knows best.

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Prayers on various occasions, - Dought & clear, - * Does Allaah come down to the first heaven onthe night of the fifteenth ofSha’baan?

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Does Allaah come down to the first heaven on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan and forgive all the people except two types, namely kaafirs and those engaged in disputes?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This is mentioned in some ahaadeeth, but there is some scholarly difference of opinion as to the soundness of those ahaadeeth. There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan.
It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah looks down on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan and forgives all his creation except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against the Muslims.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1390.
The “one who harbours hatred against the Muslims” means one who has enmity towards a Muslim brother.
Inal-Zawaa’idit says: Its isnaad is da’eef, because ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Lahee’ah is da’eef (weak) and al-Waleed ibn Muslim is mudallis.
There is also some idtiraab (weakness) in the hadeeth, as stated by al-Daaraqutni inal-‘Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said: This hadeeth is not proven.
It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, ‘Aa’ishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani and others, but the isnaads are not free of some weakness, and some of them are very weak.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan there are numerous ahaadeeth, concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed them as da’eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of them as saheeh.
Lataa’if al-Ma’aazif, 261.
Allaah’s descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, rather it is proven inal-Saheehaynand elsewhere that Allaah descends to the first heaven every night, in the last third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan is included in this general meaning.
Hence, when ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak was asked about the descent of Allaah on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, he said to the one who asked him: “O weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends every night!”
Narrated by Abu ‘Uthmaan al-Saabooni inI’tiqaad Ahl al-Sunnah, no. 92.
Al-‘Aqeeli (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to Allaah’s descending on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan there are ahaadeeth which are weak, but the reports that He descends every night are proven and saheeh, so the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan is included in that, in sha Allaah.
Al-Du’afa’, 3/29.
See also the answer to question no. 8907.
On this site you can also find an article by Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allaah have mercy on him) concerning the ruling on celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan.

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