ABU DHABI: Prayers for rain, known in Arabic as Salaat Al Istisqaa, were held on Friday morning at mosques, mussalahs and prayer sites across the nation.
The prayers were held in response to the call from President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Muslims in the UAE to gather to perform prayers in keeping with the tradition of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to pray for the land to be blessed with rain.
Dr Mohammad Mattar Al Kaabi, chairman of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, led the rain prayers at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
The imam called on the worshippers to pray for forgiveness and to ask Almighty Allah to bless the country with rain to irrigate the land and fill people with joy. He also wished the UAE President well.