Experiencing dry and cracked lands, thirsty plants, ferocious fires, and water restrictions, France is feeling the full blow of environmental catastrophes during summer 2022.
The exceptional drought is affecting the country and its neighbors for almost two months, with no significant rainfall in Western, Central and Southern Europe.
Seeking guidance from Allah, the president of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM) Rhône-Alpes, Benaissa Chana, launched an appeal for mosques on Friday August 12 “to devote a moment of prayer at the time of Jumhat prayer for rain,” Saphir News reported.
The call echoes the one launched by the Union of French Mosques (UMF) earlier this month.
“Water is vital for life, it is essential (element) for our planet, both for human beings and other species and creatures,” Chana said.
“God can make everything possible. By His mercy, we can ask Him to grant us what we need (the rain), as the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) taught us,” he added.
The drought affecting Europe is expected to continue in what experts say could be the worst drought in 500 years.
Muslims’ prayer for rain is a well-known practice from the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
The prayer is a ritual of Islam to respond to a drought by asking God for rain to revive earth.