Another Chapter on the Previous Subject

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), once passed by a people of al-Ansar who were farming and he (the Imam) said to them, ‘Continue farming; the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “Allah causes it to grow by wind as He does so by water.’” They farmed and their farm turned out good.”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘The Israelites went to Moses and asked him to ask Allah to make the sky rain on them only when they wanted and stop it from raining when they wanted. Moses asked Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, said, ‘O Moses, they can have it as they wanted.’ Moses informed them about it and they cultivated and farmed all they wanted. They then asked for rain whenever they wanted and stopped it as they wanted. Their farms grew like mountains and thick brushwood. They then harvested, threshed and exposed it to the wind (to separate the grain from the hay) but did not find anything. They expressed their anger to Moses and said, ‘We only asked you to ask Allah to send rain for us when we wanted and He agreed, but then He made it harmful to us.’ Moses then said, ‘O Lord, the Israelites have shown exasperation for what You have done to them.’ Allah asked, ‘What is it that I have done to them, O Moses?’ Moses said, ‘They asked me to ask You to send rain on them only when they wanted and stop it when they wanted. You agreed but then made it harmful to them.’ Allah said, ‘O Moses, I was measuring it for the Israelites but they were not happy with My measurement for them, then I agreed to leave it to their will, then it happened as you have seen.’”