of praise,” which people of the earliest and latest generations will envy him for. The hadiths concerning intercession are numerous and transmitted through so many independent chains as to establish certainty. Several appear in the two Sahīh collections, and many more in the Sunan and Musnad collections.

As for the Waʿīdiyyah—those among the Khawārij and Muʿtazilah who hold that divine threats must be fulfilled—they claimed that intercession is exclusively for believers, serving only to raise their ranks. Some of them denied intercession altogether.

The scholars unanimously agree that the Companions used to seek his intercession and seek a means of approach to Allah through him during his lifetime, in his presence. Thus, Sahīh al-Bukhārī records from Anas ibn Mālik that whenever they suffered drought, ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb would seek rain through al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib, saying:

“O Allah, whenever we suffered drought, we used to seek a means of approach to You through our Prophet, and You would grant us rain. Now we seek a means of approach to You through our Prophet’s uncle, so grant us rain.”

They would then be granted rain.

Al-Bukhārī also records that Ibn ʿUmar said:

“I would sometimes recall the poet’s words while looking at the face of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as he prayed for rain. He would not come down before every waterspout was gushing:

‘A fair-faced man, through whose countenance the clouds are entreated for rain,
A refuge for orphans, a protector of widows.’”

The seeking of a means of approach through the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned by ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb is explained in the other hadiths concerning prayers for rain. It is a form of seeking his intercession: asking him to supplicate and intercede, and asking Allah to accept his supplication and intercession. We put him forward to intercede and petition on our behalf—may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, and may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Likewise, when the people of Syria suffered drought, Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān sought rain through Yazīd ibn al-Aswad al-Jurashī, saying:

“O Allah, we seek intercession—and a means of approach—through the best among us. Yazīd, raise your hands.”

He raised his hands, and the people supplicated until they were granted rain.