BENGALURU: Reeling under an acute drought and soaring levels of Mercury in various districts, Muslim spiritual leaders have called for offering on Friday special prayers - Namaz-e-Istesqa - to seek divine intervention for immediate showers this week. Speaking to DC, Khatib-o-Imam of Juma Masjid at Shivajinagar, Sufi Abdul Khader Shah Wajid Khadri said that he had sent a letter appealing all mosques in the city to offer Namaz-e-Istesqa for rain after Friday namaz this week. "Even though Namaz-e-Istisqa is mustahab (recommended and not obligatory), Muslims are urged to offer it in jamaat (congregation)," he added.
According to him, these prayers should be offered under the open sky with people extending their hands with palms facing the earth in contrast to normal prayers when they raise their hands with palms directed at the skies. "This is to indicate that we don’t have any thing in our hand and every thing is now in the hands of Allah. Moreover, the time has come for each of us to confess our sins and seek Allah’s forgiveness and grace," he added. He said offering special prayers to seek the pardon of Allah to overcome natural calamities such as drought was based on principles and teachings of Prophet Mohammed. "The prayer was traditionally offered by the Prophet during times of drought. Muslims are following in the footsteps of Prophet Mohammed, who would pray for rain in Makkah, whenever there was a delay in the onset of rainy season," he added.
