and the expedition to al-Ṭāʾif took place in year eight. Others maintain that it was in year nine and that the Farewell Pilgrimage occurred in year ten. From that time Ibn ʿAbbās kept close company with the Prophet ﷺ, remaining by his side, learning from him, and carefully committing to memory his words, deeds, and states. He also received a vast store of knowledge from the Companions, distinguished by keen insight, eloquence and fluency, attractiveness and grace, innate nobility, and lucid expression. The Messenger of the All-Merciful ﷺ prayed for him—as is solidly established in rigorously authenticated reports preserved by the reliable hadith masters—asking that he be taught the interpretation (taʾwīl) and granted deep understanding of the religion.

Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār (1) said: Sāʿidah ibn ʿUbayd Allah al-Muzanī narrated to me, from Dāwūd ibn ʿAṭāʾ, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: ʿUmar would summon ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās, draw him close, and say, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ call you one day, wipe your head, and spit into your mouth, then say, ‘O Allah, give him understanding of the religion and teach him the interpretation.’” With this same chain it is also related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “O Allah, bless him and spread [benefit] through him.”

Hammād ibn Salamah related, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUthmān ibn Khuthaym (2), from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās: I spent the night in the house of my maternal aunt Maymūnah and set out water for the Prophet ﷺ to wash with. He asked, “Who put this here?” They replied, “ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās.” He then said, “O Allah, teach him the interpretation and grant him understanding of the religion.” More than one narrator (3) transmitted this from Ibn Khuthaym with similar wording.

Imām Aḥmad (4) reported: ʿAbd Allah ibn Bakr told us, Ḥātim ibn Abī Ṣaghīrah (5) Abū Yūnus told us, from ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, that Kurayb informed him that Ibn ʿAbbās said: I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ late at night and prayed behind him. He took my hand, pulled me forward, and placed me beside him. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to his prayer I drew back, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ completed the prayer. When he finished he said to me (6), “Why is it that I place you beside me (7) yet you withdraw?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, is it fitting for anyone to stand beside you in prayer while you are the Messenger of Allah, the one to whom Allah—exalted is He—has granted such honour?” This pleased him, so he supplicated that Allah increase me in knowledge and understanding. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sleep until I heard his breathing (8). Bilāl came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, the prayer.” He arose, prayed, and did not renew his wuḍūʾ.

Imām Aḥmad (9) and others also reported: Hāshim ibn al-Qāsim told us, Waraqāʾ told us, and I heard ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abī Yazīd narrate from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to the privy, so I placed water for wuḍūʾ for him. When he came out he said: