For this reason, when hardships befell the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and they wished to supplicate to Allah for relief from distress or to seek His mercy, they did not go to any graves, whether those of prophets or anyone else. Indeed, they did not even go to the Prophet’s grave, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, intending to supplicate there. Rather, it is established in Sahīh al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Anas, that whenever they suffered drought, Umar ibn al-Khattāb would seek rain through al-Abbās ibn Abd al-Muttalib, saying:

“O Allah, we used to seek to draw near to You through our Prophet, and You would grant us rain. Now we seek to draw near to You through our Prophet’s uncle, so grant us rain.”

And they would be granted rain.

Sahīh al-Bukhārī also relates that Abd Allāh ibn Dīnār said: “I heard Ibn Umar reciting these lines of Abū Tālib:

‘A fair-faced man, by whose countenance rain is sought from the clouds—
A refuge for orphans, a protector of widows.’”

It also relates, through Sālim ibn Abd Allāh ibn Umar, that his father said:

“At times I would recall the poet’s words while looking at the face of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as he sought rain, while it came down until a gutter gushed with water for him:

‘A fair-faced man, by whose countenance rain is sought from the clouds—
A refuge for orphans, a protector of widows.’”

These are the words of Abū Tālib.

Likewise, Mu‘āwiyah and those with him in Syria sought rain through Yazīd ibn al-Aswad al-Jurashī. During the lifetime of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, they would “come to him and ask