فيها حصل في المدينة والحجاز قحط عظيم فكتب عمر إِلى سائر الأمصار يستعينهم فكان ممن قدم عليه أبو عبيدة من الشام بأربعة آلاف راحلة من الزاد وقسم عمر ذلك على المسلمين حتى رخص الطعام بالمدينة ولما اشتد القحط خرج عمر ومعه العباس وجمع الناس واستسقى مستشفعاً بالعباس فما رجع الناس حتى تداركت السحب وأمطروا وأقبل الناس يتمسحون بأذيال العباس رضي الله عنه. (المختصر في أخبار البشر تاريخ أبي الفداء)
ِA tremendous drought took place in al-Madina and al-Hijaz so Sayyidina `Umar (r) wrote to all the other places asking them for help. From those who came forth was Abu `Ubaidah from Sham, with 4,000 loaded animals carrying provision, and Sayyidina `Umar (r) divided all that among the Muslims until the food was available in Madina. And when the drought intensified, Sayyidina `Umar (r) went out with Sayyidina al-`Abbas (as) and gathered the people and prayed for rain taking al-`Abbas (as) as intercessor, and the people did not return before they encountered clouds and were given rain and the people came forth kissing and touching the jubbah of Sayyidina al-Abbas (as) [seeking barakah from it].
(Related in the Abridgment of Story of Mankind, a history by Abul-Fida).
