81 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Ismaʿil ibn ʿAbd Allah al-ʿIjli reported; Sulayman ibn Harb transmitted; al-Sari ibn Yahya—the devout, truthful, trustworthy—reported, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr, who said:

“I set out with my father, and we were crossing a barren expanse. In the distance a dark shape appeared; we thought it was a tree. When we came nearer, however, we found a man standing in prayer. We waited for him to finish so that he could guide us to the village we were seeking, but when he did not break off his prayer my father called out, ‘We are heading for such-and-such a village—point us toward it with your hand.’ He obliged.

Near him was a stone-lined basin, completely dry, and ⦗35⦘ a parched village. My father said to him, ‘We see you here in this wilderness with no water. Let us pour some of the water we have into your waterskin.’ He motioned with his hand that we should not.

We had not yet moved on before a cloud drifted over, released its rain, and that basin filled to the brim. When we later entered the village we recounted the incident, and the people said, ‘Indeed, wherever that man is found, rain is sent down.’

My father then remarked, ‘How many a righteous servant of Allah there is whom we do not know!’”