Hadith.1501 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) delivered a sermon during a prayer for rain and said:
"All praise is due to Allah (swt), the Generous in His blessings, the Reliever of distress, and the Creator of life. He Who made the heavens as a support for His Throne, and the mountains as pegs for the earth, and the earth as a bedding for His servants. He placed His angels on its edges, and the bearers of the Throne on its sides. By His Might, He established the foundations of the Throne. With His Light, He illuminated the rays of the sun and with His radiance, He dispelled the darkness of the shadows. He caused springs to burst forth from the earth, made the moon a light, and the stars as shining beacons. Then He ascended and reigned supreme. He created and perfected, established order and ruled. The arrogance of the proud humbled itself before Him, and the humility of the needy turned to Him in supplication.
O’ Allah (swt), through Your lofty status, Your exalted position, Your overflowing grace, and Your encompassing path, I ask You to bless Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, as he devoted himself to You, called others to Your worship, fulfilled Your covenant, enforced Your laws, followed Your signs, was Your servant, Your Prophet, and Your trustee upon Your covenant to Your servants, the upholder of Your laws, the supporter of those who obey You, and the one who dispels the excuses of those who disobey You. O’ Allah (swt), grant Muhammad the greatest share of Your mercy, the brightest face of those who receive Your abundant gifts, and the nearest of the prophets to You in proximity on the Day of Resurrection, the most abundant of them in receiving Your pleasure, and the largest of them in the gathering of his followers in Your gardens, for he never prostrated to stones, never worshiped trees, never committed unlawful acts, nor shed blood unjustly.
O’ Allah (swt), we have come forth to You when harsh constraints have gripped us, difficulties have confined us, adversities have afflicted us, and our pastures have withered. The oppressive years have taken hold over us, and the signs of generosity have been withheld from us. We are thirsty and desire the sounds of showers to fill our hearts. You are the hope of the distressed and the trust of the seeker. We call upon You when the people despair, when the clouds are withheld, and livestock perish. O’ Ever-Living, O’ Self-Sustaining, by the number of trees and stars and the rows of angels and the gathered clouds, do not return us disappointed. Do not hold us accountable for our deeds, nor confront us with our sins. Spread upon us Your mercy through nurturing clouds and flourishing plants. Bestow upon Your servants diverse fruits, enliven Your lands with blossoming vegetation. Witness Your honored angels bringing beneficial, enduring, ample rains—quick and abundant. By this, revive what has died, restore what has been lost, and bring forth what is to come.
O’ Allah (swt), provide us with a pouring rain that nourishes the earth, covers it in abundance, thundering and flashing lightning, refreshing and continuous. May it flow without end, enriching crops and filling lands with lush growth. Do not make its shade a scorching wind upon us, nor its chill destructive, nor its light a terror, nor its water bitter and undrinkable. O’ Allah (swt), we seek refuge in You from disbelief and its consequences, from oppression and its calamities, from poverty and its misfortunes. You Who provide goodness from its sources and send forth blessings from its origins, from You alone is the life-giving rain, and to You alone we turn for help. We are those who err and sin, but You are the Forgiving, the Pardoning. We ask You for forgiveness for our major sins and turn to You for pardon from our frequent mistakes. O’ Allah (swt), send upon us a rain that revives and spreads growth, that is abundant and brings mercy through pouring showers. Let the rain fall in sequence and not be a false promise, its lightning not a deception. Bring forth a rain that quenches thirst, fills valleys, and revitalizes vegetation.
O’ Allah (swt), the mountains are parched, the earth is dusty, livestock are wandering and lost in their pastures, animals cry out in distress, seeking nourishment as their strength is sapped, and their bones grow frail. Soften our hearts to their plight, show mercy to their cries, and ease their difficulties in their pastures."