and Yazīd. Rather, they would invoke blessings upon him in their supplications. 'Umar said:

“O Allah, 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 therefore substituted this for their former practice when it was no longer possible to seek a means of approach through him in the prescribed manner they had previously followed. They could have gone to his grave and sought a means of approach through him, or invoked his standing in their supplications in the open country, using similar expressions that entail adjuring Allah, Almighty and Majestic, by a created being or petitioning Him by that being. They could have said, “We ask You, or adjure You, by Your Prophet, or by Your Prophet’s standing,” and similar expressions used by some people.

Some ignorant people have related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When you ask Allah, ask Him by my standing, for my standing with Allah is great.”

This hadith is fabricated. It is not found in any of the Muslim books upon which hadith scholars rely, nor has any scholar of hadith mentioned it—even though his standing with Allah Most High is greater than that of all the other prophets and messengers. Allah, glorified is He, has told us that Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them both, held places of honor with Him. He Most High said:

“O you who believe, do not be like those who offended Moses. Allah cleared him of what they said, and he was held in honor by Allah.”

He Most High also said:

“When the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and among those brought near to Him.’”

If Moses and Jesus held places of honor with Allah, Almighty and Majestic, then how much more so the leader of the children of Adam, the one granted the Praiseworthy Station for which the earliest and latest generations will regard him with admiring envy, and the one granted al-Kawthar