| Answer:
Bukhārī has reported in his Sahīh that once ‘Umar (rta) asked ‘Abbās
(rta) to pray to God for rain:
Anas (rta) narrates: whenever there was a drought, ‘Umar (rta) prayed for
rain through ‘Abbās Ibn ‘Abdu’l Muttalib (rta). He [‘Umar] would say: ‘Oh My
God We used to ask you for rain through our Prophet (sws) and you would send
rain, now we ask you for rain through his uncle. Please send showers on us’.
Anas (rta) says that they would then they were bestowed with rain.
(Bukhārī No: 964)
In what follows is the wording of the prayer of ‘Abbās (rta):
He said: Oh Lord! No
misfortune befalls except because of (our) sins and none is taken but
through repentance. My people had turned to me because of my relation to
your prophet (sws) so here are our hands spread before you marred with sins
and our foreheads (bowing down) in repentance. So bless us with rain. [Fatulbāri
964]
A study of these and other
related information about the matter makes it clear that ‘Umar (rta)
requested ‘Abbās (rta) to pray to God for rain. He did not use the Prophet (sws)
or his uncle as an interceder. The position of ‘Abbās (rta) is analogical to
the one of leader in prayer. Others forwarded him because of his position of
respect being uncle of the Prophet (sws). |