uncle, among your descendants there will surely rule a number equal to the stars in that constellation.”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Qāsim Ibn ʿAsākir devoted a biography of al-ʿAbbās that runs to a little over fifty folios.

He lived for eighty-eight years.

He died in 32 AH; ʿUthmān led the funeral prayer over him, and he was buried in al-Baqīʿ.

Over his grave today stands a large dome built by the Abbasid caliphs. (1)

Khalīfa and others, however, maintain that he died in 34 AH, while al-Madāʾinī places his death in 33 AH.

Al-Miqdād ibn Abī al-Qāsim told us; he was informed by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn al-Akhdar; who in turn was informed by Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Bāqī; who, in my presence, was informed by Abū Isḥāq al-Barmakī; who was informed by ʿAbd Allāh ibn Māsi; who was informed by Abū Muslim al-Kajji; who was informed by the Anṣārī Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh; who was informed by my father, from Thumāma, from Anas:

ʿUmar once went out to perform the rain-prayer, and al-ʿAbbās went out with him. ʿUmar supplicated:
“O Allah, when drought struck us during the lifetime of our Prophet ﷺ, we used to seek Your favour through our Prophet ﷺ. O Allah, now we seek Your favour through the uncle of Your Prophet.” (2)

Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār relates that al-ʿAbbās was asked, “Are you older, or is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” He replied, “He is greater than I, while I am older than him. His birth came after I had reached understanding. Someone came to my mother and said, ‘Āmina has given birth to a boy.’ At daybreak she took me by the hand and we went to her. Even now I can see him kicking his little legs in the courtyard, while the women kept tugging at me… (3)