عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ تَطَوُّعِهِ؟ فَقَالَتْ: "كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي بَيْتِي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعًا، ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ فَيُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ، ثُمَّ يَدْخُلُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ الْمَغْرِبَ، ثُمَّ يَدْخُلُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَيُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ الْعِشَاءَ، وَيَدْخُلُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ".
The hadith explicitly states that he prayed two rak'ahs . This is crucial because it distinguishes the Istisqa prayer from the regular Friday or Eid prayers. Furthermore, it mentions reciting aloud , indicating that, like the Eid and Friday prayers, the Quranic recitation in Istisqa is audible. sahih ibn khuzaymah 654
This narration is not merely a historical anecdote; it serves as a primary source for several Islamic rulings regarding the prayer for rain: it mentions reciting aloud