would set out in search of another man and not return until he thought his own neck was about to snap from thirst. A man would even slaughter his camel, squeeze out the contents of its stomach, drink the moisture and rub what was left over his liver.

At that Abū Bakr said, “Messenger of Allah, Allah has never failed to answer your supplications with good—so pray to Him for us.” He replied, “Would you like me to do that?” “Yes,” he answered. The Prophet then raised his hands and did not lower them until the sky gathered above us, shaded us, and poured down rain. Everyone filled whatever vessels he had. We then went out to look and found that the cloud had not moved beyond the edge of the camp. This is a good and reliable ḥadīth.

Mālik and others transmitted—from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dīnār, from Ibn ʿUmar—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions: “Do not enter upon these people who were punished unless you are weeping; if you are not weeping, then do not enter upon them, lest what afflicted them afflict you”—meaning the dwellers of al-Ḥijr.

Sulaymān ibn Bilāl narrated—from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dīnār, from Ibn ʿUmar—who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stopped at al-Ḥijr he ordered them not to drink from its well nor to water their animals from it. They said, “We have already kneaded dough with its water and filled our water-skins.” He instructed them to discard that dough and pour out that water. Both reports are recorded by al-Bukhārī, and Muslim has one similar to the first of them.

ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar related—from Nāfiʿ, from ʿAbd Allāh—that when the people encamped with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at al-Ḥijr they drew water from its wells and prepared dough with it. He ordered them to pour out the water, feed the dough to their camels, and to draw water instead from the well that