Mosques of the United Arab Emirates held prayers for rain today on orders by the President of UAE, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The prayer for rain is a sunnah of the beloved Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and is offered so the land will be blessed with rain from the Almighty.
Earlier, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai had announced that the prayer for rain, known as Salaat Al Istisqaa in Arabic, to be performed at mosques and other prayer areas across the country.
The Salaat Al Istisqaa took place 10 minutes before the prayer call today.
The director general of IACAD, Dr Hamad Al-Sheikh Ahmed Al-Shaibani, had asked the residents of UAE to offer the rain prayer for everyone.
Meanwhile, UAE has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries. An immigration document said that applications for new employment and visit visas have been suspended until further notice for nationals outside the UAE from the following 13 countries.
The list includes Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen.