(1) Ibn Saʿd, 3/485, transmits the report through al-Waqidi, who is weak, as noted repeatedly. Seeking rain (istisqa) through the righteous is permissible only during their lifetime, not after their death, as the rightly guided caliph ʿUmar b. al-Khattab demonstrated. Al-Bukhari relates in his Sahih, 2/410, Book of Istisqa, chapter “The people ask the imam to pray for rain,” on the authority of Anas, that whenever drought struck, ʿUmar would ask al-ʿAbbas b. ʿAbd al-Muttalib to supplicate, saying: “Allahumma inna kunna natawassalu ilayka binabiyyina fatasqina, wa inna natawassalu ilayka biʿammi nabiyyina fasqina” (O Allah, we used to seek a means to You through our Prophet and You would give us rain; now we seek a means to You through the uncle of our Prophet, so grant us rain)—and they would be given rain. Al-Zubayr b. Bakkar records in al-Ansab, as cited by al-Hafiz, the wording of al-ʿAbbas’s prayer: “Allahumma innahu lam yanzil balaʾun illa bidh-dhanb, wa lam yukshaf illa bit-tawba, wa qad tawajja-ha al-qawmu bi ilayka limakani min nabiyyik, wa hadhihi aydina ilayka bidh-dhunub, wa nawasyina ilayka bit-tawba, fasqina al-ghayth” (O Allah, no affliction descends except because of sin, and none is lifted except through repentance. The people have come to You through me because of my closeness to Your Prophet. Here are our hands raised to You with our sins and our forelocks humbled to You in repentance, so send us abundant rain). (*) Musnad Ahmad, 5/450; Tabaqat Ibn Saʿd, 2/352–353; Tarikh Ibn Maʿin, 311; Tabaqat Khalifa, 8; Tarikh Khalifa, 56, 206; al-Tarikh al-Kabir, 5/18–19; Tarikh al-Fasawi, 1/264; al-Jarh wa-l-Taʿdil, 5/62; al-Mustadrak, 3/413; al-Istibsar, 193; al-Istiyab, 3/921; Jamiʿ al-Usul, 9/81; Usd al-Ghaba, 3/264; Tarikh al-Islam, 2/230; al-Ibar, 1/51; Majmaʿ al-Zawaʾid, 9/326; Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, 5/249; al-Isaba, 6/108; Khulasat Tadhhib al-Kamal, 200; Tahdhib al-Kamal, 691.