Sunni Endowment calls for nationwide rain prayer as drought worsens

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Sunni Endowment has ordered a nationwide Salat al-Istisqa, or rain prayer, to be held across all governorates next Saturday at 10 a.m., in response to prolonged drought and delayed rainfall.

Sunni Endowment chief Amer Al-Janabi issued the directive “due to delayed rainfall and the water shortage our country is currently facing,” according to a statement released Sunday. The prayer is scheduled for Nov. 8 and will be performed simultaneously in mosques and open spaces across Iraq.

The country is facing its most severe water crisis in 80 years, with reserves at historic lows following another weak rainy season. Officials have attributed the shortages to climate change, prolonged drought, and upstream dam construction in Turkey and Iran.

On Sunday, Iraq and Turkey signed the executive mechanism of a framework cooperation agreement on water management, which officials described as a step toward major joint projects to address Iraq’s worsening water crisis.

Salat al-Istisqa is a special Islamic prayer offered collectively to ask God for rain during periods of drought or severe water scarcity. The ritual, deeply rooted in Islamic tradition, is typically performed in open areas as a sign of humility and collective repentance.

Earlier this year, similar prayers were held across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as the country endured one of its driest seasons in decades.

Iraq’s Meteorological Authority recently said early forecasts point to above-average rainfall toward the end of autumn or early winter, offering cautious optimism for recovery.