Is drinking rain water Sunnah?

Is drinking rain water reccomended or Sunnah in Islam? Sometimes we collect rain water and drink it, so I wanted to know if this is just for health or some Islamic reason behind it?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Drinking rain water specifically is not Sunnah. In fact, one should exercise precaution from drinking rain water directly due to possible health hazards. Consider the following from Argonne National Laboratory:

“Normally you could drink rainwater without becoming ill. However, rainwater contains pollutants, soil, plant parts, insect parts, bacteria, algae, and sometimes radioactive materials that the rain/snow has washed out of the air. If filtered with one of the filtering systems that you can buy in stores nowadays, and then boiled, you could probably drink the water safely. However, it is safer yet to get your water from municipal water supplies or from wells that are frequently tested”[1]. 

Nevertheless, rain is a sign of Allah’s mercy, providence and grace[2]. The following Ahadith explain the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam during rain:

1. It is recommended (Sunnah) to allow the rain to fall down upon us. It is mentioned in the Hadith:

قال أنس: أصابنا ونحن مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مطر، قال: فحسر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثوبه، حتى أصابه من المطر، فقلنا: يا رسول الله لم صنعت هذا؟ قال: «لأنه حديث عهد بربه تعالى» 

صحيح مسلم (3/ 442 898# دار الفوائد 

Translation: We were with Nabi Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam when rain fell upon us. Nabi Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam opened his garment a bit so that the rain could touch his skin. We asked “O Rasulullah Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam, why do you do this?” He replied, “Because it has just recently come from Allah.” (Sahih Muslim Vol.3 Pg.442 #898 Darul Fawaid)

1. We should recite the following Dua: 

اللَّهُمَّ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا

صحيح البخاري (2/ 6751032#دار البشائر الإسلامية

Transliteration: Allahumma Sayyiban Naafi’a

Translation: O Allah! Make it a copious, beneficial rain. (Sahih Bukhari Vol.2 Pg.675 #1032 Darul Bashairil Islaamiyya)

1. During heavy rain recite the following Dua:

اللَّهُمَّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلاَ عَلَيْنَا

صحيح البخاري ( ج2/ص 1014# (656دار البشائر الإسلامية

Transliteration:  Allahumma Hawa Layna Wa La ‘Alayna.

Translation: “O Allah! Make it rain around us and not upon us. O Allah! Upon the mountains and the hills, down the valleys, and to the roots of the trees.” (Sahih Bukhari Vol.2 Pg.656 #1014 Darul Bashairil Islamiyya)

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Immad Bin Arshad

Student Darul Iftaa
California, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net