and he declared it sound. Ibn Ḥibbān also includes it in his Sahih, on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“O Allah, give strength to Islam through whichever of these two men is dearer to You—ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb or Abū Jahl ibn Hishām.”

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb proved to be the dearer of the two to Allah, so ʿUmar accepted Islam. It is related that the supplication was made on a Wednesday and that he embraced Islam the following Thursday, and through him Allah fortified the religion. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd said, “We have remained honoured ever since ʿUmar became Muslim” — al-Bukhārī narrates this. The might of Islam then appeared under his caliphate, east and west, in the conquest of al-Shām, Iraq and Egypt and in the routing of the armies of Chosroes and Caesar, clear proof that the prayer had been answered.

Both Sahihs further report that Ibn ʿAbbās once placed water for the Prophet’s ablution when the Prophet went to relieve himself. On coming out he asked, “Who put this here?” When told it was Ibn ʿAbbās, he prayed, “O Allah, grant him deep understanding of the religion and teach him the interpretation (of Scripture).”