Bukhari and Muslim also relate that God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was asked to pray for rain. He did so and so much rain fell that they had to ask him to pray for it to stop. He did so, and it stopped at once.[214]

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : It is almost as well-known as those incidents about which there are many unanimous reports that when the number of Companions and believers  had  still  not  reached  forty,  God’s  Noble  Messenger  (Upon  whom  be blessings  and  peace)  prayed  secretly  while  performing  his  worship:  “O  God! Strengthen Islam by means of either ‘Umar b. al-Khattab or ‘Umar b. Hisham.” A few days later, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab came to believe and proclaimed and upheld Islam, so that he acquired the title of Faruq (Discerner between truth and falsehood).[215]

T  h  i  r  d    E  x  a  m  p  l  e :  God’s  Messenger  (UWBP)  prayed  for  various distinguished Companions for different purposes. His prayers were all accepted in so brilliant a fashion that the wonders of these prayers reached the degree of a miracle. For instance, foremost Bukhari and Muslim relate that he prayed for Ibn ‘Abbas as follows: “O God! Give him knowledge of religion and teach him interpretation.”[216]

His supplication was accepted in such a way that Ibn ‘Abbas gained the glorious title of Interpreter of the Qur’an and reached the elevated degree of “erudite scholar of the Muslim community.”[217]  When still very young even, ‘Umar used to include him in the gatherings of the religious scholars and leading  Companions.[218]

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[213] Bukhari, Istisqa, 3; Fada’il Ashab al-Nabi, 11.

[214] Bukhari, Istisqa, 19; Ibn Maja, Iqama, 154; Muslim, Salat al-Istisqa, 8, no: 897; Ibn Kathir, al- Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 91-2; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327.

[215] Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 18, no: 1683; al-Albani, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 6036; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3766; Ibn Asir al-Jizri, Jami’ al-Usul, no: 7428; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 17; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 465; iii, 83, 502; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 215.

[216] Bukhari, Vudu’, 10; ‘Ilm, 17; Fada’il al-Ashab, 24; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 138; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 98; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661; al-Khafaji, Sharh al- Shifa’, iii, 130; Ibn al-Asir, Jami’ al-Usul, ix, 63; Musnad, i, 264, 314, 328, 330; al-Hakim, al- Mustadrak, iv, 534

[217] al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 535; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, ii, 330-4; Ibn Athir, Usd al-Ghaba, iii, 291; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327.

[218] Musnad, i, 338; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Fada’il al-Sahaba, no: 1871; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 535; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661.