The knowledge of Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his blessed hand on my shoulder (the narrator is unsure, or perhaps the words are:) on my shoulder (this doubt is from a narrator named Sa'id, i.e. the word used for 'shoulder' differs). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah! Grant him understanding of the religion and grant him knowledge of interpretation."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This report is mentioned in the Sahih, but without these words: "and grant him knowledge of interpretation!" Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it with various chains, and al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it in these words: "O Allah! Grant him knowledge of the interpretation of the Qur'an!" Ahmad's report has two routes, and the narrators of both are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for me and said: You are an excellent interpreter of the Qur'an! Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) also supplicated for me twice.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Khirash, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his blessed hand on the head of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and made this supplication: O Allah! Grant him wisdom and grant him knowledge of interpretation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his hand on his chest, and Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) felt the coolness of the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his chest. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: O Allah! Fill his insides (i.e. his chest) with knowledge and forbearance! The narrator says: So Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) never felt within himself any need to ask anyone about anything, and he remained the great scholar of this Ummah until Allah Almighty took him in death.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: I was with my father in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There was another man with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who was speaking to him in confidence, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) paid no attention to my father. When we left him, my father said: O my son! Did you not see your cousin? It was as if he was turning away from me. I said: Dear father! There was a man with him with whom he was speaking in confidence. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: Later, when we went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), my father said: O Messenger of Allah! I said such-and-such to Abdullah, and he told me that there was someone with you who was speaking to you in confidence. Was there really someone with you? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: O Abdullah! Did you see him? I said: Yes! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That was Jibril, and it was because of him that I could not attend to you.
Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it with various chains, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: I passed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while I was wearing white clothes. At that time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was talking with Sayyiduna Dihyah bin Khalifah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was in fact Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him), but I did not know this, so I did not greet them with salam. Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) asked: O Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Who is this? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is my cousin; this is Ibn Abbas. Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) said: How very white his clothes are! But after him his descendants will wear black. Had he greeted us with salam, we would have returned his greeting. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: When I came back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked me: O Ibn Abbas! Why did you not greet with salam? I said: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! I saw that you were speaking in confidence with Sayyiduna Dihyah bin Khalifah (may Allah be pleased with him), and I did not like to interrupt your conversation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Did you see him? I said: Yes! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You will lose your sight, and then at your death it will be restored to you. Ikrimah says: When Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) passed away and his body was placed on the bier, an intensely white bird came and entered his shroud. The people wanted to open his shroud, but Ikrimah said: What are you about to do? This is the glad tidings described by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). When the body of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was placed in the niche of the grave, the people standing at the edge of the grave heard someone reciting: "O soul at peace! Return to your Lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on some errand. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) found a man present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he went back without saying anything to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Later the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: Did you see him? He said: Yes! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That was Jibril. And this one (i.e. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)) will not die until his sight has gone, and he will be given knowledge.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat with various chains, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, I said to a man: Come, let us acquire knowledge from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and ask them questions, for at present they are numerous. That man said: O Ibn Abbas! By Allah, I am amazed at you! Do you think that people will ever need to turn to you, when, as you can see, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah are present among the people? Then I set out and began asking questions, and I began following the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sometimes I would go after a Companion regarding a hadith which I had learned he had heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I would find him taking his midday rest. I would wait at the door of his house, using my cloak as a pillow, with the wind blowing dust over me, until that man himself came out. When he saw me, he would say: O cousin of the Messenger of Allah! What brings you here? I would reply: I wanted to ask about a hadith which, I have learned, you narrate from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I wanted to hear that hadith from you myself. That man would say: Why did you not send me a message? I would have come to you myself. I would reply to him: I have more right to come to you. Then, when the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had departed and people came to need me, that companion of mine saw me in this state and said: You were more knowledgeable than me.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abd al-Malik bin Maysarah narrated this statement of Tawus: I have sat with 70 (the narrator is unsure, or perhaps the words are:) 80 elderly Companions, and not one of them would hold an opinion contrary to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both); when the two met, the other would say: The position is as you have said; or he would say: You have spoken the truth.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abu Bakr al-Hudhali narrates: I went to visit al-Hasan and said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) holds a distinguished position with regard to the Qur'an. He said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: This young man is like the elders; he has a tongue that asks many questions and a heart that understands well. He would stand on this pulpit of ours on the evening of Arafah, recite Surah al-Baqarah and Surah Al Imran, and then go on explaining them verse by verse. He is an overflowing, brimming bucket (of knowledge).
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, one of its narrators, is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Heraclius wrote to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: If anything of prophethood remains among those people, they will answer me about what I have asked them. Heraclius wrote to him asking him about al-majarrah (perhaps the Milky Way is meant), about the qaws (bow), and about the patch of ground on which the sun shone for only a single hour. The narrator says: When that letter and the messenger came to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: This is something I never thought I would be asked about. Then Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) folded up the letter of Heraclius and sent it to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) wrote back to him: "The qaws is a safeguard for the people of the earth against drowning, and the majarrah is the gate of the sky which is opened. As for the part of the earth on which the sun shone for one hour of the day, it is that part of the sea which was parted for the Children of Israel."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Al-Dahhak bin Muzahim al-Hilali narrates: Nafi' bin al-Azraq and Najdah bin Uwaymir went out with a group of the leaders of the Khawarij, searching out knowledge and seeking it, until they reached Makkah. There they found Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) sitting near Zamzam, wearing a red cloak of his and a shirt, and there were people standing asking him about tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), saying: O Abu Abbas, what do you say about such-and-such? And he would say: It is such-and-such. Nafi' said to him: How bold you are, O Ibn Abbas, in what you have been declaring since this morning! Ibn Abbas said to him: May your mother lose you and be bereft of you! Shall I not tell you who is bolder than I am? He said: Who is he, O Ibn Abbas? He said: A man who speaks about that of which he has no knowledge, or a man who conceals knowledge that he has. He said: You have spoken the truth, O Ibn Abbas; I have come to you to ask you questions. He said: Come then, O Ibn al-Azraq, and ask. He said: Tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "There will be sent against you both a flame (shuwaz) of fire and smoke". What is shuwaz? He said: The flame that has no smoke in it. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt: "Who will carry from me to Hassan a message that travels far, making its way to Ukaz: was your father not a blacksmith among us, frequenting the singing-girls, worthless in guarding honour, a Yemeni who would keep stoking a furnace and ceaselessly blowing on the flame of the shuwaz?" He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about His saying: "and smoke (nuhas), and you will not be able to defend yourselves". He said: Smoke that has no flame in it. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard al-Nabighah of Banu Dhubyan saying: "It gives light like the light of an oil-lamp in which Allah has placed no nuhas." He meant smoke. He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah: "from a mingled drop (amshaj), that We may test him". He said: The water of the man and the water of the woman: when the two come together in the womb, it becomes mashij (mingled). He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Abu Dhu'ayb al-Hudhali, when he says: "As though the arrowhead and its two notches, between the feathers, had been mixed with mashij." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah Almighty: "and the leg is wrapped around the leg". What is the leg wrapped around the leg? He said: War. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Abu Dhu'ayb: "A brother of war: if war bites him, he bites it back, and if war bares its leg, he girds himself up too." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "sons and grandsons (hafadah)". What are banin and hafadah? He said: As for your sons, they are those who attend to you; and as for your hafadah, they are your servants. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt: "The slave-girls bustle about them, and into their palms the reins of the laden camels have been cast." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "You are only one of the musahharin". Who are the musahharun? He said: Those who are created. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi, when he says: "If you ask us what we are made of, we are sparrows of this created (musahhar) mankind." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "So We cast them into the sea, while he was blameworthy (mulim)". What is mulim? He said: The sinner. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt, when he says: "Far from afflictions, you are not deserving of them; rather it is the wrongdoer who is blameworthy (mulim)." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak (falaq)". What is falaq? He said: It is the morning. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Labid bin Rabi'ah, when he says: "The reliever of distress, whose hosts are freely given, just as the daybreak (falaq) parts the darkness with light." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "so that you do not grieve (ta'saw) over what has escaped you, nor exult over what He has given you". What is asah? He said: Do not be sad. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Labid bin Rabi'ah: "Little in grief (asa) over what time has brought upon him, noble in praise, sweet in disposition, admired." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "He thought that he would never return (yahur)". What is yahur? He said: Returns. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Labid bin Rabi'ah: "Man is nothing but like a meteor and its light: it turns back (yahur) into ashes after it had been blazing." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "They will go round between it and boiling water, intensely hot (an)". What is an? He said: That whose heat has reached its utmost. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of al-Nabighah of Banu Dhubyan: "If Abu Qubays seizes you, death will bring you down in disgrace, and will dye a beard that betrayed and was treacherous with red, intensely hot (an) blood from the belly." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and it became like al-sarim". What is al-sarim? He said: The dark night. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of al-Nabighah of Banu Dhubyan: "Do not try to drive back a scowling one who has no equal, like the night that mingles dark stretches with dark stretches." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "until the ghasaq of the night". What is the ghasaq of the night? He said: When it grows dark. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of al-Nabighah: "As though the earnestness of what they said and what they promised were a mirage (al) enclosed by pitch-black darkness (ghasaq)." Abu Khalifah said: al-al is the mirage. He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and Allah is Muqit over all things". What is Muqit? He said: Able. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of al-Nabighah: "Many a rancorous man I have held my rancour back from, though I am well able (muqit) to do him harm." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "By the night as it approaches (as'as)". He said: The advance of its darkness. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Imru' al-Qays: "It drew on in darkness (as'as), until, had he wished, he would have come near, as though he had a firebrand from the glow of its light." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and I am guarantor (za'im) for it". He said: Al-za'im is the guarantor (kafil). He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Imru' al-Qays: "And I am guarantor (za'im), if I return as a king, of a march in which you will see the noble youths turning aside." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and its fum". What is fum? He said: Wheat. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Abu Dhu'ayb al-Hudhali: "I used to consider myself like the richest of delegations that ever came to the city from the cultivation of fum." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and the azlam". What are azlam? He said: Divining arrows (qidah). He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of al-Hutay'ah: "He does not draw omens from birds when they pass him from the right, nor is a divining arrow cast for him among the azlam." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about His saying, Exalted is He: "And the companions of the mash'amah: what are the companions of the mash'amah?". He said: The companions of the left (shimal). He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma, where he says: "Grey hair has settled on the left side (shimal), close at hand, and al-mururat, near and paltry." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "And when the seas are set flowing (sujjirat)". He said: Their water is mixed with the water of the earth. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma: "Rabi'ah among Judham has come to know, and Ka'b her maternal uncle and the two sons of Dirar: you have contended with an ancient lineage, and their seas have flowed (sajarat) into my seas." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "By the sky with its pathways (hubuk)". What are hubuk? He said: Tracks (tara'iq). He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma: "Crowned with the roots of the stars, woven by the north wind, over an open expanse in which there are tracks (hubuk)." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and that exalted is the majesty (jadd) of our Lord; He has taken no wife". He said: The greatness of our Lord is exalted. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Tarafah bin al-Abd to al-Nu'man bin al-Mundhir: "To a king who strikes down the mail-clad warriors, from whom grey hair has not taken away even a sandal-strap: does it raise your majesty (jadd) that I am a man whom enemies have made drink bucket after bucket?" He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "until you become harad". He said: Al-harad is the worn-out. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Tarafah bin al-Abd: "Is it from remembering Layla, now that a far distance has taken her away, that I am counted as wasting away (harid), with sleep forbidden to me?" He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "while you are samidun". He said: Heedlessly amusing yourselves. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Hazilah bint Bakr, as she wept for Ad: "I have announced the death of Ad, and Sa'd came as a fugitive; it was said: Rise and look at them, then leave off your heedless amusement (sumud)." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "when it becomes full (ittasaq)". What is its ittisaq? He said: When it gathers together. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Abu Sirmah al-Ansari: "We have young she-camels, plump ones, gathered together (mustawsiqat), if only they could find a driver." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "al-Ahad, al-Samad". As for al-Ahad, we know it; so what is al-Samad? He said: The One to whom recourse is made in all matters. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of the Asadi woman: "Lo, the announcer of death came early with news of Banu Asad: of Amr bin Mas'ud and of the master, the samad." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about His saying, Exalted is He: "he will meet atham". What is atham? He said: Recompense. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Bishr bin Abi Hazim al-Asadi: "Our standing invokes against them, in the valley of Dhu al-Majaz; it has a recompense (atham)." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "and he was kazim". He said: The silent one. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Zuhayr bin Khuzaymah al-Absi: "If you are silent (kazim) over the calamity of Shas, then today I am free of tongue." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "or hear from them any rikz". What is rikz? He said: A sound. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Khirash bin Zuhayr: "If you hear of horsemen coming down from a height or into the hollow of rugged ground, then hide every sound (rikz) and keep yourselves concealed." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "when you were slaying them (tahussunahum) by His permission". He said: When you were killing them by His permission. He said: Did the Arabs know that before the Book was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Yes; have you not heard the saying of Utbah al-Laythi: "We slay them (nahussuhum) with white blades, until it is as though we were splitting colocynths from their skulls." He said: You have spoken the truth. Then tell me about the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "O Prophet, when you divorce women". Was divorce known in the Jahiliyyah? He said: Yes, an irrevocable divorce, three times. Have you not heard the saying of A'sha bin Qays bin Tha'labah when his in-laws seized him out of protective jealousy and said: You have harmed our kinswoman, and we swear by Allah that we will not lift the stick from you unless you divorce her. When he saw that they were in earnest and that they would do him harm, he said: "O my wife, depart, for you are divorced; such are the affairs of people, some coming by morning and some by night." They said: By Allah, you shall make the divorce final for her, or we will not lift the stick from you. So he said: "Then depart, chaste and not unsightly, beloved by us just as you are loving." They said: By Allah, we will make the divorce final for her, or we will not lift the stick from you. So he said: "Then depart, for parting is better than the stick, and better than its continuing to flash above your head." So he separated from her with three pronouncements of divorce.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration; its chain contains Juwaybir, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the last part of the night and prayed behind him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took me by the hand, pulled me and made me stand level with him. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his attention to his prayer, I drew back a little. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) carried on praying, and when he had finished the prayer he said: What is the matter with you? I made you stand level with me and you drew back? I said: O Messenger of Allah, is it proper for anyone to stand level with you and pray, when you are the Messenger of Allah and Allah Almighty has granted you (a special status)? The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked this, and he prayed for me that Allah Almighty would grant me more knowledge and understanding.
Allamah al-Haythami says: I say: After this the narrator mentioned the full hadith. Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Ibn Abi Mulaykah narrates: I was present with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) when Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Do you remember when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came back from a journey and we went out to receive the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) replied: Yes! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) picked up me and a boy from Banu Hashim, and left you.
I say: This narration is mentioned in the Sahih, but there it is the incident of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him), whereas in this narration it is the incident of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Ibn Buraydah al-Aslami narrates: A man reviled Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: You revile me, when I have three qualities? When I recite a verse of the Book of Allah, I wish that all people knew about it what I know; when I hear of one of the rulers of the Muslims that he has judged with justice, I rejoice at it, although perhaps I will never take a case before him; and when I hear of rain that has fallen on one of the lands of the Muslims, I rejoice at it, although I gain nothing from it.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit also narrates: Some of us from the Ansar needed something from the governor of the time, and what we were asking of him was a difficult matter. So we went to the governor, taking along some people of Quraysh and of other tribes. They spoke with the governor and mentioned to him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had enjoined good treatment of us. The governor mentioned to them that the matter was difficult, and those people excused him; but Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) kept pressing the governor, until, by Allah, the governor had no option but to do it. We left him and entered the mosque, where people were sitting in various groups. Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I laughed as I listened to them (saying): By Allah, he (that is, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)) was the most fitting of you for this. By Allah, he is the remnant of prophethood (that is, of the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) and the heir of Sayyiduna Ahmad (peace and blessings be upon him); he has a lineal tie and a natural closeness with him. The people said: O Sayyiduna Hassan, you say something too. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: They are right. So Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) recited these verses in praise of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "When the face of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) appears before you, you will see excellence in everything about him. When he speaks, he leaves nothing for (the other side) to say; he speaks so coherently that you will find nothing superfluous (that is, unnecessary) in his speech. Whatever is in the hearts (of thought, idea, concern or worry), he suffices for it and becomes the means of its cure. He leaves no aspect of seriousness or jest for any intelligent person to speak about. (O Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)) you have risen to a lofty rank without suffering any hardship, and you have reached its hump (that is, the highest level); you are neither lowly nor weak (or deficient). You were created as an ally of chivalry, your voice is eloquent, and you were not created a coward or corrupt." The governor said: By Allah, by "coward" and "corrupt" he meant no one but me; Allah is (the judge) between me and him.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration.

Yahya bin Bukayr narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) passed away in 68 AH at the age of 72; he used to dye his beard yellow. He narrates: I was born three years before the Hijrah, when we were in the Shi'b of Abu Talib, and when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away I was 13 years old.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its chain is munqati' (broken).

Habib bin Abi Thabit narrates: I saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both); he had long hair.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was a tall man; his complexion was reddish tinged with yellow; he was a handsome, well-featured man with a beautiful face, and he had locks of hair.

Abu Ishaq narrates: I saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) at Mina; his hair was long, he was wearing a lower garment (izar) that hung down somewhat, and he had a yellow cloak over him.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, I was 15 years old and had already been circumcised.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sa'id bin Jubayr narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) passed away in Ta'if, and we attended his funeral. A bird came, the like of which had never been seen, and it entered his bier, and then it was not seen coming out. When he had been buried, this verse was heard being recited at the edge of his grave, but it was not known who was reciting it: (Allah Almighty says:) "O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abdullah bin Yamin has narrated something similar from his father, except that he narrated these words: A white bird came, which was called "al-ghurnuq".