Prayer for rain to be held Friday

AMMAN — Istisqaa prayer will be held across the Kingdom on Friday, following calls made by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs urging Jordanians to participate in the prayer. 

A statement posted on the ministry’s website said that Awqaf Minister Wael Arabiyat notified heads of Awqaf directorates in Jordan to organise the Istisqaa prayer at the mosques that host Friday prayers. 

The special Muslim prayer for rain is a ritual practised since the time of Prophet Mohammad and is held due to lack of rain. 

However, Arabiaweather’s Chief Meteorologist Omar Al Dajani said there is no reason for people to feel panicked over the lack of rain. 

“Rainfall this season did come late but this is not the first time the Kingdom suffers from such a condition. If we look back to history, we can notice that Jordan received rain at a late time of year in 2010 and in 1999,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

He noted that the rain season starts in October and wraps up in April. 

“In the 2013-2014 winter season, the Alexa snowstorm hit the Kingdom, bringing good amounts of rainfall. It then did not rain for the following two months and started raining again in March. This had a negative impact on the agricultural field,” he added.

In the meantime, Dajani said that temperatures are forecast to decrease as of Sunday, with a low pressure expected to prevail in the mid of next week. The Jordanian meteorologist noted that it might bring rain.