How Tawassul Rescued the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb
In the year 18 AH, the Muslims faced a terrible famine for nine months that devastated the region of Madīnah during the caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. It was named the Year of Ashes (ʿĀm al-Ramādah) because the lack of rain caused the earth to darken, resembling ashes.
It was one of the worst famines the Muslims faced, and recorded uniquely in both Muslim history books and non-Muslim chronicles due to its notoriety. It became so dire that wild animals would not be eaten due to how repulsive their condition had become.
In this article, we would like to demonstrate the fascinating story on how the Muslims only managed to find relief from this drought after performing tawassul..
ʿUmar's Tawassul through al-ʿAbbās
One famous example of relief that the Muslims obtained was through their intercession via the Prophet's uncle – Al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib – which was recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1010:
It is narrated that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, whenever the people were afflicted by drought, would seek rain through al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.
He would say: "O Allah, we used to seek nearness to You through our Prophet, and You would grant us rain. Now we seek nearness to You through the uncle of our Prophet, so grant us rain."
The narrator said: "And they were granted rain."
In this report, ‘Umar says:
وَإِنَّا نَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ بِعَمِّ نَبِيِّنَا
“We intercede to you [Oh God] through the uncle of our Prophet.”
We discussed previously in our article ofʿUthmān b. Hunaif that the bā in this phrasing is bā al-Isti’anah (the bā of seeking assistance). This means ‘Umar is seeking Al-Abbas himself (i.e. his essence) as a channel to obtain God’s assistance.
Despite this, the initial translators deviated from the original Arabic and inserted an incorrect translation. They wrote:
We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain.
A request is not mentioned anywhere in the Arabic. Instead, they deviated from the correct translation which says "we sought nearness" or "we sought intercession" as tawassul means both.
Additionally, another version of this report is recorded in Kitāb al-Awāʾil, pg. 175 - 176 where it states:
Abū al-Qāsim [al-Baghawī] narrated, through his chain from al-Madāʾinī, from his teachers:
The land suffered a severe drought during the caliphate of ʿUmar. The shepherds threw down their staff in despair, and the Bedouin tribes came streaming into Madīnah. Around 50,000 people gathered there, and ʿUmar took responsibility for providing for them. […]
Kaʿb al-Aḥbār said: "When the Children of Israel were afflicted by drought, they would seek rain through the family line of the prophets."
So ʿUmar went to al-ʿAbbās, brought him up onto the pulpit, and said: "O Allah, we have turned to You through the uncle of our Prophet and the full brother of his father. So send us rain, and do not make us among those who despair.
Al-ʿAbbās then supplicated: "O Allah, You do not send down a calamity except because of sin, and You do not remove it except through repentance. The people have turned to You through me because of my relation to Your Prophet. Here are our hands stretched out to You in repentance from our sins, and our forelocks humbled before You. So send us rain, spread Your mercy over us, and do not make us among the disappointed."
The narrator said: "The sky then poured down abundant showers of rain until the pits and the hilltops were filled with water." ʿUmar then said: "By Allah, this is the means (al-wasīlah)."
This variant is more or less supported by other reports, which were recorded by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī in Fatḥ al-Bārī Vol. 4, pg. 119:
Al-Zubayr b. Bakkār explained in al-Ansāb the supplication al-ʿAbbās made on this occasion and the time when it occurred. He narrated with his chain of transmission that when ʿUmar sought rain through al-ʿAbbās, he said: "O Allah, no affliction descends except because of a sin, and it is not lifted except through repentance. The people have turned to You through me because of my position with Your Prophet. Here are our hands raised to You with our sins, and our forelocks turned to You in repentance. So send down rain upon us." Then the sky poured forth rain like mountains until the land became fertile and the people lived in abundance.
He also narrated through Dāwūd, from ʿAṭāʾ, from Zayd b. Aslam, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: "During the Year of al-Ramādah, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb sought rain through al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib…" and then added that ʿUmar said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarded al-ʿAbbās with the same esteem that a son has for his father. So follow the example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding his uncle al-ʿAbbās, O people, and take him as a means (wasīlah) to Allah."
This report is in line with the one from al-Awāʾil, which sheds light on three matters:
(i) The reason ʿUmar sought tawassul through a family member of the Prophet–as opposed to the Prophet himself–was because it was at the advice of Kaʿb al-Aḥbār himself.
(ii) ʿUmar performed tawassul through al-ʿAbbās and not through his duʿāʾ. This is because al-ʿAbbās makes his duʿāʾ after ʿUmar already said that he interceded through al-ʿAbbās, and then al-ʿAbbās confirms that the people already interceded through him when he makes his prayer. This is further evidenced by Kaʿb's own statement, which does not state “They sought the prayers of the family members” but rather “They sought rain through the family members”.
For these reasons, Ibn Ḥajar says in Fatḥ al-Bārī Vol. 4, pg. 113:
The implied subject of the phrase "rain is sought" does not necessarily mean that they asked the leader to pray for rain on their behalf, as indicated by the chapter heading.
Likewise, ʿUmar's statement that they used to perform tawassul through him does not necessarily prove that they asked him (i.e. the Prophet) to pray for rain for them. It is possible that, in both cases, they asked Allah for rain while seeking intercession through him."
(iii) ʿUmar's hatred towards ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn becomes clear, for they were all in Madīnah at that time, yet he chose someone who was less virtuous than them all- Al-ʿAbbās- because he did not want to choose a descendant of ʿAlī ﵇..
(iv) ʿUmar refers to this incident and al-ʿAbbās himself as a wasīlah, which means ‘Umar believed that when verse 5:35 asks to seek a wasīlah, it can refer to seeking intercession through an intermediary that is closer to God than himself, which is exactly what ‘Umar himself did. This is also an admission of ‘Umar that he is inferior to the household of the Prophet (SAW), which affirms the superiority of ‘Ali (AS), as he would’ve chosen himself otherwise.
Moreover, in another report from Ansāb al-Ashrāf Vol. 4, pg. 14 of al-Balādhurī, it records:
ʿAbbās b. Hishām al-Kalbī narrated to me from his father, from his grandfather Muḥammad b. al-Sāʾib, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:
During the Year of al-Ramādah, ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb sought rain through al-ʿAbbās. He said: "O Allah, these are Your servants and the children of Your maidservants. They have come to You in hope, seeking nearness to You through the uncle of Your Prophet. So grant us a beneficial rainfall that spreads across the land and gives life to Your servants. O Allah, we seek rain from You through the uncle of Your Prophet, and we seek his intercession before You through his white hair." So they were given rain.
Concerning this, al-Faḍl b. al-ʿAbbās b. ʿUtbah said:
Through my uncle, Allah gave rain to al-Ḥijāz and its people, When ʿUmar turned to al-ʿAbbās in the drought, full of hope.
Among us is the Messenger of Allah, whose legacy remains among us, On the evening when ʿUmar sought rain through his grey hair.
He turned to him, and before he had even departed, the rain came. Is there, after this, any greater source of honour for those who boast?
Al-Dhahabī attributes this poetry to his father, the companion al-ʿAbbās b. ʿUtbah, in Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ Vol. 2, pg. 94 instead.
This means that they practiced tawassul and tabarruk through the white hairs of al-ʿAbbās, which means they believed it had value because of the fact it belonged to al-ʿAbbās, which means it wasn't through his supplication that they interceded, but through him as a person.
Similarly, Ḥassān b. Thābit says in ʿUsd al-Ghābah, pg. 634:
The Imam requested when our drought had become relentless, and the clouds poured rain by the radiant presence of al-ʿAbbās.
The Prophet's uncle and the counterpart of his father, who inherited from the Prophet that distinction above all people.
Through him, Allah revived the land, and it became lush on every side after despair.
It is clear that they believe that due to al-ʿAbbās' own merit and status as a person, that they interceded so that rain can be brought down and that the land can find relief.
The reason this distinction is important is because supplication through a person is not limited to them being alive or dead, as they share that rank with God regardless of that. However, if it was due to their prayer, then we could not follow in that footsteps unless we prove that al-ʿAbbās is praying for us in his grave.
Since these reports and indications show that ʿUmar interceded through al-ʿAbbās as a person, and that the other companions – ʿAbbās and Ḥassān – understood it in like manner, it means we can follow their footsteps on this matter as per Sunnī standards.
A Companion seeks Istighātha from the Prophet
In another incident that occurred within this nine-month time period, was when an unnamed adult man sought istighātha (direct aid) from the Prophet ﷺ while he was in his grave, and was granted rain for it.
This was recorded in Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah Vol 18, pg. 31:
Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us, from al-Aʿmash, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Mālik al-Dār, who said—and he was ʿUmar's keeper of the food stores:
A drought struck the people during the caliphate of ʿUmar, so a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said, "Oh Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for they are perishing."
Then another man was visited [by the Prophet] in a dream, and it was said to him, "Go to ʿUmar, convey peace to him, inform him that you will be given rain, and tell him: 'Be wise! Be wise!'" The man came to ʿUmar and informed him. ʿUmar wept, then said, "My Lord, I spare no effort except in what I am incapable of."
It was also recorded in Tarikh Abi Khaythma Vol. 2, pg. 80.
Although the man was left unnamed, as he was an adult living in Madīnah, it would be highly unlikely for him to have been a non-companion as the Prophet passed away only 6 years prior to this incident.
In fact, there is reason to believe that this individual may have actually been Abū Sufyan based on the fact that he made the same prayer during the Prophet's lifetime and was present in Madīnah at that time.
This is based on a report from Sahih al-Bukhari 4821:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was approached [by Abu Sufyan] and it was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, seek rain from Allah for [the tribe of] Muḍar, for it has perished.' Then he sought rain and they were given rain.
As we see, the same prayer is mentioned in both sources:
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اسْتَسْقِ اللَّهَ … فَإِنَّهَا قَدْ هَلَكَتْ.
It is clear that the individual in this incident is Abu Sufyan based on a similar report which names in Sahih al-Bukhari 4824.
None of the Muslims – including ʿUmar – condemned this companion for approaching the Prophet's grave, calling him by saying "Yā Muḥammad" and requesting a prayer.
Moreover, ʿUmar clearly believed in his story about the dream as he started to weep. Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī mentions who the man with the dream was in Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Vol. 4, pg. 115:
Ibn Abī Shaybah narrated, with an authentic chain, from Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān, from Mālik al-Dār—who was ʿUmar's keeper of the treasury—that he said: A drought struck the people during the time of ʿUmar, so a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for they have perished."
Then a man was visited in a dream [by the Prophet], and it was said to him, "Go to ʿUmar…" and he mentioned the rest of the narration.
Sayf also narrated in al-Futūḥ that the one who saw this dream was Bilāl b. al-Ḥārith al-Muzanī, one of the Companions.
This is evidence for the permissibility of calling upon the dead for their intercession, and– as Ibn Ḥajar says– it is an authentic chain.
Opponents may try to dismiss the authenticity of this report by making the following objections:
The alleged tadlīs of al-Aʿmash
It is well known that al-Aʿmash practiced tadlīs, so his narrations are only accepted when he explicitly states that he heard them. However, al-Dhahabī clarifies that this exception exists when he narrates from his well-known teachers in Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl Vol. 3, pg. 315 - 316:
"Whenever al-Aʿmash says 'from,' the possibility of tadlīs exists, except with certain shaykhs from whom he narrated extensively, such as Ibrāhīm, Ibn Abī Wāʾil, and Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān. His narrations from this group are regarded as connected."
Moreover, he narrates extensively in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Muslim where he says 'from" instead of 'I heard' and despite their alleged 'strictest of ḥadīth standards' have included it in their collections. (See Hadiths No. 6308. 3458, 5646 and Muslim 661).
The alleged unknown status of Mālik al-Dār
Some have said that Mālik al-Dār is unknown (majhūl), and that it is not permissible to take the religion of Allah from unknown narrators.
However, Mālik al-Dār's reliability and uprightness are sufficiently established by the fact that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb entrusted him with the treasury of the Muslims. What greater testimony to a person's integrity could there be than this?
We read the following remarks made about him in Tārīkh Dimashq Vol. 56, pg. 489 - 493:
Abū ʿUbaydah said: “Mālik al-Dār was the freedman of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. ʿUmar appointed him in charge of the dependents and their provisions. Then, when ʿUthmān assumed the caliphate, Mālik was appointed to oversee the distribution of stipends, and because of that he became known as Mālik al-Dār.”
Yaḥyā b. Maʿīn said, in naming the Tābiʿun of Madīnah and its hadith scholars: “Mālik al-Dār, the freedman of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb.”
ʿAlī b. al-Madīnī said: “Mālik al-Dār was the keeper of ʿUmar’s treasury.”
Muḥammad b. Saʿd put in the first generation of the people of Madīnah: “Mālik al-Dār was the freedman of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb.” He also said, “They were affiliated with Jabalān from Ḥimyar. Mālik al-Dār narrated from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and ʿUmar, and Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān narrated from him. He was well known.”
Al-Bukhārī said: “Mālik b. ʿIyāḍ al-Dār narrated that ʿUmar said during a drought: ‘My Lord, I have spared no effort except in what I am incapable of.’”
Ibn Abī Ḥātim said: “Mālik b. ʿIyāḍ, the freedman of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, narrated from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān narrated from him. I heard my father say this.”
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Muqdamī said: “Mālik al-Dār, the keeper of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb’s treasury, was Mālik b. ʿIyāḍ, a Ḥimyarī.”
These scholars affirm Mālik al-Dār's role during the caliphates of both ʿUmar and ʿUthmān, and identify him as a well-known Tābiʿī of his time. For this reason, neither al-Bukhārī nor Ibn Abī Ḥātim criticises him in any way. Ibn ʿAdī al-Jirjānī does not include him among weak narrators in al-Kāmil, while Ibn Ḥibbān includes him in al-Thiqāt.
For this reason, Ibn Ḥajar authenticates his narration, and likewise Ibn Kathir in al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah Vol. 11, pg. 73 - 74 states its chain is authentic.
Conclusion
These two incidents provide compelling evidence for the permissibility of tawassul and its presence amongst the early Muslims. They are both reliable as per the Sunni standards of Hadith, and present clear textual evidence.
The fact that the caliphate of the Muslims was rescued by performing tawassul is clear evidence and illustration of the importance of this practice and the consequences of deviating from it is likely a reason for why many problems in the Islamic world remain unresolved.
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