The prayer of need

Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam narrates: I stayed with Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) in order to keep learning from him. When the time of his death drew near, he said: "Inform the people that I am about to die." So I informed the people. When I came back, the house was full and there were people outside too. I said: "I have informed the people that you are about to die, and the house and the outside are filled with people." He said: "Take me out." So we brought him out. Then he said: "Sit me up." So we sat him up. He said: "O people! I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever performs ablution and does it thoroughly, then prays two complete rak'ahs, Allah Almighty will give him whatever he asks of Him, either soon or later.'" Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people! Beware of turning this way and that during prayer, for the one who turns this way and that has no prayer. If you are compelled to do so, let it be in voluntary prayer; do not do it in the obligatory prayer."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Maymun Abu Muhammad; al-Dhahabi says: He is not known.

Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam narrates: I came to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) during the illness in which he passed away. He said: "O my nephew! On what errand have you come here?" (Here the narrator is in doubt; perhaps the words are:) "Why have you come?" Yusuf bin Abdullah said: "I have come only because of the bond that existed between you and my father, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him)." Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "What a bad hour this is for lying (i.e. this hour when I am departing from the world)! I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever performs ablution and does it well, then stands and prays two rak'ahs or four rak'ahs (this doubt is from the narrator named Sahl), performing the bowing and humility well in them, then seeks forgiveness from Allah Almighty, he will be forgiven.'"
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it, except that he recorded these words: "Then he stands and prays two or four rak'ahs, whether obligatory or voluntary, performing the bowing and prostration well in them." Its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man kept coming to Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) about some need of his, but Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) paid no attention to him and did not look into his need. That man met Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) and complained about this to him. Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Go to the ablution vessel and perform ablution, then come to the mosque and pray two rak'ahs in it, and then say: 'O Allah! I ask You and turn to You through our Prophet, Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet of mercy. O Sayyiduna Muhammad! I turn through you to my Lord (that you supplicate for me), so that my Lord may fulfil my need.'" (Then Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said:) "Mention your need, and then when you go there, I will go with you as well." The man went and did what Sayyiduna Uthman (bin Hunayf) (may Allah be pleased with him) had told him. Then he came to the door of Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him), and the doorkeeper came, took the man by the hand and brought him in to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) seated him beside himself on his rug and said: "What is your need?" The man mentioned his need, and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) gave instructions for it to be fulfilled. Then he said to him: "Why did you take so long to mention your need?" Then he said: "Whenever you have any need, come to us." The man left him and met Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him). The man said to him: "May Allah Almighty reward you with good! Before, he would not consider my need at all, nor pay any attention to me; you spoke to him about me, and so he did this." Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! I did not speak to him at all. Once I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a blind man came to him and complained to him (peace and blessings be upon him) about the loss of his sight. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Will you not be patient?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I have no one to lead me about, and it is very hard for me.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Go to the ablution vessel, perform ablution, then pray two rak'ahs, then make this supplication.'" Sayyiduna Uthman bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "By Allah! We had not yet got up from there, and not much time had passed in conversation, when that man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it seemed as though he had never had any affliction at all (i.e. his sight had been completely restored)."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam al-Tirmidhi and Imam Ibn Majah recorded the last part of this narration, without the whole story. Imam al-Tabarani says: This hadith is sahih (authentic); he stated this after mentioning its various routes through which this narration has been reported.