Is prayer prescribed for other natural phenomena besides eclipses and earthquakes?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of the Eclipse Prayers (Solar and Lunar)
Primary text
Prayer is not legislated for phenomena such as strong winds, extreme darkness, thunderbolts (Sawa'iq), or excessive rain, based on the view that the Prophet (PBUH) did not perform prayer for them, nor did any of his Companions. However, some scholars, specifically Al-Amidi and Ibn Abi Musa, maintain that prayer is legislated for these phenomena, along with meteor showers, citing the general principle that prayer is recommended for any sign of Allah intended to frighten His servants.
Supporting text
The scholars of the Hanafi school (Ahl ar-Ra'y) hold that performing prayer for all such signs is recommended (mustahabb) because the Prophet (PBUH) used the divine sign of the eclipse as the basis for establishing that prayer.