~18 AH · 18 AH
During the great drought of the 18th year of the Hijrah, Umar ibn al-Khattab RA gathered the Muslims to perform Salat al-Istisqa' (the Rain Prayer). At the end of his khutbah, rather than asking anyone else, Umar RA called upon al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib RA (the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ) to stand and make du'a for rain on behalf of the whole community, as an act of tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah) through his closeness to the Prophet ﷺ.
Despite the presence of many senior sahaba, including veterans of Badr, Umar RA singled out al-Abbas RA for this honor, reflecting the immense respect the companions held for him as the Prophet ﷺ's last surviving paternal uncle.
Other events recorded in 18 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
O Allah, we used to go through the Prophet ﷺ to get to you. And now we will do tawassul through the uncle of Your Prophet ﷺ. Stand up, O Abbas, and make du'a for us.
The close of Umar's khutbah at Salat al-Istisqa' during the drought of 18 AH.