The Sins Continue and the Rain Falls!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God, dear people.
Some may ask: Do you not say that God withholds rain due to the sins of the servants? And do you not urge people to repent and leave sins so that rain may fall? Here, the rain has fallen even though sins continue, and the country is scheduled for more "singers" to hold dance and music parties! Therefore, there is no connection between sin and obedience, and the falling or withholding of rain, but the matter involves meteorological factors. If it were related to the deeds of the servants, rain would not have fallen on Western countries to grow crops and forests.
The Legal Connection Between Deeds and Rainfall
We say, dear people: God Almighty said, narrating about Noah, peace be upon him: "Say, 'Seek forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers.'" And it is authentically reported from our Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said: "...And they did not give the zakat of their wealth except that they withheld the rain from the sky, and were it not for the animals, they would not have been rained upon," and the rain is referred to as "al-qatar." Therefore, the connection between the falling of rain and deeds is established by the Sharia.
Why Does Rain Fall on Sinners and Disbelievers?
However, at the same time, the Sharia does not negate that rain may fall ultimately on sinners and even disbelievers; God Almighty said about those on whom rain falls to revive their land after its death: "And if We send a wind and they see it yellow, they will remain after that disbelievers."
But it does not fall for their sake, rather for the sake of their animals, as in the hadith: "Were it not for the animals, they would not have been rained upon"; so it is sufficient humiliation that the rain falls when it falls not for the sake of the people but for the sake of their animals! In addition, of course, there are children who are not held accountable for the sins of others, and remnants of the righteous who denounce evil and disassociate from it. Therefore, the withholding of rain is a warning and a deterrent, and its falling is a mercy, a respite, or a temptation.
Responding to Intellectual and Practical Doubts
Secondly: There is no contradiction between the existence of meteorological factors and the influence of the deeds of the servants on the falling of rain; God ordains all of that, and it is not necessary that He punishes the servants with violations of norms.
Thirdly: The issue of the falling and withholding of rain is not taken by us as evidence of the existence of God and the truth of Islam and the Quran, but all of this has its independent evidence, and our speech is directed to those who believe in God based on this evidence.
Fourthly: The nations that disbelieve in God and enjoy blessings are not outside the norm of God, and the Quran has not informed us of anything contrary to what happens with them, but God Almighty said: "Let not the turning of the disbelievers throughout the land delude you. [It is but] a small enjoyment; then their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place." And our Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Those are a people to whom their good deeds have been hastened in this worldly life." And it is a mercy of God Almighty that He warns the nation of Muhammad, peace be upon him, with the withholding of rain to remind them of their Lord and their end.
The Danger of Trifling with God's Patience
Fifthly: He who says, "We are still sinning and the rain has fallen," in a manner of trifling, is like the hypocrites who used to disobey and mock, so God said about them: "And they say among themselves, 'Why does not God punish us for what we say?' Hell will be enough for them; they will [enter to] burn therein. And wretched is the destination." And he is like those who said: "Our Lord, if this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring upon us a painful punishment."
For all of this, we say, O servants of God: Let us fear God and let not His patience and respite deceive us, and let us denounce evil and raise our voices in denouncing it and disassociating from it, and let us remember the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Indeed, God grants respite to the oppressor until, when He seizes him, He does not release him."
We ask God to have mercy on us and protect us from the evil of the corrupt, and to honor Islam and the Muslims.
Peace be upon you.