Muslim Students Association prays for rain at service

Members of the local Muslim community bowed, knelt and swayed their bodies toward the northeast corner of the room – in line with Mecca – praying to God for “ghaith,” the Arabic word for “perfect rain.”

As an unseasonably warm light flooded into the John Wooden Center’s Pyramid Room Friday, about 60 members of the Muslim community prayed to put an end to the drought affecting Southern California.

“I went (into the prayer) with strength of conviction that it will work and God will work for you,” said Nida Aslam, a third-year English student and the external vice president of the Muslim Students Association.

The prayer was part of the Muslim Students Association’s weekly service. The students added the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer – a rite asking God for rain during a prolonged drought – to their gathering.

Salma Elmalaki, a graduate student in electrical engineering, said “Salatul Istisqa” requests that God bring prosperous rain.

“Allah will give you a suitable rain – not a flood, not a drizzle,” Elmalaki said.

Muslim student groups at the University of Southern California, Santa Monica College and UC Irvine have also placed special prayers to end the drought, said Aslam.

For the past several weeks, Los Angeles County has experienced an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state-wide drought emergency in mid-January, urging Californians to cut back on their water use.

Aslam said several Muslim student organizations conducted the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer at universities in Northern California Feb. 7. Rain followed several days after, showing the effectiveness of the prayer, she added.

“Every time I’ve heard (a group praying the prayer), it has worked within the next few days,” Aslam said.

The imam, the leader of a Muslim service, performed the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer at the end of Friday’s service

He asked community members to quietly engage with the prayer as he recited it in Arabic. Individuals at the service occasionally responded with a quiet hum or occasional nod, but many people silently reflected on the prayer’s meaning.

Aslam said the prayer comes directly from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder and prophet of Islam.

According to traditional beliefs, the Prophet Muhammad said the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer when a follower asked him to alleviate a drought plaguing his homeland. While in the midst of Friday prayer, the Prophet turned to the direction of Mecca and asked God for rain, and it rained the following day.

Though they participated in the service, some students said they held reservations about the prayer’s effectiveness.

Abdallah Alturki, a first-year chemistry student, said he thinks God may not accept the community’s prayer for reasons people cannot understand.

“Maybe He wants us to come back (and pray more), or (there is) another reason – we have no clue,” Alturki said.

If the “Salatul Istisqa” prayer does not work, Aslam said the Muslim Students Association at UCLA will perform the prayer again during this week’s Friday service.