وَ رَوَى حَفْصُ بْنُ اَلْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اَللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالَى إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنْفَعَ بِالْمَطَرِ أَمَرَ اَلسَّحَابَ فَأَخَذَ اَلْمَاءَ مِنْ تَحْتِ اَلْعَرْشِ وَ إِذَا لَمْ يُرِدِ اَلنَّبَاتَ أَمَرَ اَلسَّحَابَ فَأَخَذَ اَلْمَاءَ مِنَ اَلْبَحْرِ» قِيلَ إِنَّ مَاءَ اَلْبَحْرِ مَالِحٌ قَالَ «إِنَّ اَلسَّحَابَ يُعْذِبُهُ.
Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari narrated from Him (a.s) that He said: "When Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, wishes to bring benefit through rain, He commands the clouds to take water from beneath the Throne. But when He does not intend for vegetation to grow, He commands the clouds to take water from the sea." It was said: "But sea water is salty." Imam (a.s) said: "The clouds purify it."