Muttalib [^212] And after the Prophet’s (UWBP) death, ‘Umar prayed citing ‘Abbas, saying: “O our Sustainer! This is the uncle of your Beloved. Send us rain for his sake!” And it rained. [^213]

[^212]: Ibn Sa’d, Ṭabaqāt, i, 90; Bayhaqī, Dalā’il al-Nubūwwa, ii, 15-19.

[^213]: Bukhārī, Istisqā’, 3; Faḍā’il Aṣḥāb al-Nabī, 11.

Bukhari and Muslim also relate that God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was asked to pray for rain. He did so and so much rain fell that they had to ask him to pray for it to stop. He did so, and it stopped at once. [^214]

[^214]: Bukhārī, Istisqā’, 19; Ibn Māja, Iqāma, 154; Muslim, Salāt al-Istisqā,’ 8, no: 897; Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa’l-Nihāya, vi, 91-2; Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 327.

Second Example

S e c o n d E x a m p l e: It is almost as well-known as those incidents about which there are many unanimous reports that when the number of Companions and believers had still not reached forty, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed secretly while performing his worship: “O God! Strengthen Islam by means of either ‘Umar b. al-Khattab or ‘Umar b. Hisham.” A few days later, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab came to believe and proclaimed and upheld Islam, so that he acquired the title of Faruq (Discerner between truth and falsehood). [^215]

[^215]: Tirmidhī, Manāqib, 18, no: 1683; al-Albānī, Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, no: 6036; al-Mubārakfūrī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwazī, no: 3766; Ibn Asīr al-Jizrī, Jāmi’ al-Uṣūl, no: 7428; Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṣaḥīḥ, ix, 17; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 465; iii, 83, 502; Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 327; Bayhaqī, Dalā’il al-Nubūwwa, ii, 215.

Third Example

T h i r d E x a m p l e: God’s Messenger (UWBP) prayed for various distinguished Companions for different purposes. His prayers were all accepted in so brilliant a fashion that the wonders of these prayers reached the degree of a miracle. For instance, foremost Bukhari and Muslim relate that he prayed for Ibn ‘Abbas as follows: “O God! Give him knowledge of religion and teach him interpretation.” [^216] His supplication was accepted in such a way that Ibn ‘Abbas gained the glorious title of Interpreter of the Qur’an and reached the elevated degree of “erudite scholar of the Muslim community.” [^217] When still very young even, ‘Umar used to include him in

[^216]: Bukhārī, Wuḍū‘, 10; ‘Ilm, 17; Faḍā’il al-Aṣḥāb, 24; Muslim, Fadā’il al-Ṣaḥāba, 138; Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṣaḥīḥ, ix, 98; Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 327; ‘Alī al-Qārī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, i, 661; al-Khafājī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, iii, 130; Ibn al-Asīr, Jāmi’ al-Uṣūl, ix, 63; Musnad, i, 264, 314, 328, 330; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 534.

[^217]: al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 535; Ibn Ḥajar, al-Iṣāba, ii, 330-4; Ibn Athīr, Usd al-Ghāba, iii, 291; Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 327.