Drought: Jigawa community holds three-day special prayer for rain

Residents of Basirka town in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State have gathered for a three-day special prayer, known as Salatul Istisqa, seeking divine intervention for rainfall following a prolonged dry spell impacting their farms. The Salatul Istisqa commenced on Saturday and persisted through Sunday and Monday, with residents also observing a voluntary fast on Monday.

Hundreds of individuals, comprising farmers, Islamic scholars, the elderly, women, and youths, converged at the town’s Eid ground on Monday to partake in a two-rak’ah special prayer. The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Basirka, Sheikh Sanunu Basirka. The occurrence coincides with worries over rainfall shortages in northern Nigeria, where many farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods.

After the prayer, Sheikh Sanunu implored residents to seek Allah's forgiveness, repent, and intensify acts of worship and charity. He emphasized that the community had conducted this prayer for three consecutive days due to the gravity of the situation. Sheikh Sanunu described the predicament as a test and an opportunity for individuals to return to Allah through sincere repentance, prayers, and good deeds, adding that Allah had promised to bless those who earnestly seek His forgiveness and pray for beneficial rainfall.

A 65-year-old farmer, Malam Ibrahim, reported that the prolonged dry spell had already begun to affect his maize and millet farms, stating that their crops were drying up due to the lack of adequate rainfall. Another resident, Haruna Aliyu Basirka, expressed the anxiety among farmers in the area, noting that it was the middle of the farming season, but the rains had ceased, which prompted their collective prayer for Allah's mercy.