“The discharge of the people of the Fire.”

Another group said that this does not establish the permissibility of seeking access to Allah through him after his death or in his absence. Rather, it concerns doing so during his lifetime, in his presence, as related in Sahīh al-Bukhārī: ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, sought rain through al-ʿAbbās, saying:

“O Allah, whenever we suffered drought, we used to seek access to You through our Prophet, and You would send us rain. Now we seek access to You through our Prophet’s uncle, so send us rain.”

Then they would be granted rain. ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, thus explained that they used to seek access to Allah through the Prophet during his lifetime and would be granted rain. This meant that they would ask him to supplicate to Allah for them; he would supplicate for them, and they would supplicate alongside him, seeking access to Allah through his intercession and supplication. As related in the Sahīh from Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him:

“A man entered the mosque on Friday through a door beside Dār al-Qadā’, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, was standing and delivering the sermon. He stood facing the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the livestock have perished and the roads have been cut off. Supplicate to Allah for us to withhold the rain from us.’

“He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, raised his hands and said, ‘O Allah, around us, not upon us. O Allah, upon the hills and hillocks, the valley beds, and the places where trees grow.’

“He said: The rain ceased, and we went out walking in the sunshine.”

Thus, in this hadith, the man said, “Supplicate to Allah for us to withhold the rain from us.”

It is also related in the Sahīh that ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar said:

“Indeed, I