the case of the living, as has already been explained; but when the person in question is dead—whether a prophet, a righteous servant, or anyone else—it has never been legislated for us to say, “Pray for us,” or “Ask your Lord on our behalf.” None of the Companions or their Followers ever did this, none of the leading scholars enjoined it, and no hadith supports it. What is soundly established is that when a drought struck during the caliphate of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), he sought rain through al-ʿAbbās, saying: “O Allah, whenever drought afflicted us we used to seek Your favor through our Prophet and You would send us rain; now we seek Your favor through the uncle of our Prophet, so send us rain.” And rain was sent down. They did not go to the Prophet’s grave saying, “O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah for us, seek rain for us; we complain to you about what has befallen us,” or the like. None of the Companions ever did such a thing; it is an innovation for which Allah has sent down no authority. Rather, when they came to his grave