The Reality of Intercession in Islam: Lessons from the Book of Tawheed

Chapter: The Shafaa’ah (Intercession), and His statement: ‘To Allaah belongs all intercession

24th-25th Lesson from the Book of Tawheed by Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad bin Abdil-Wahhaab

بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم

From the commentary on the Book of Tawheed by Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad bin Abdil-Wahhaab may Allaah have mercy on him, 24th-25th, Lesson

By Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu ‘Abdirrahmān Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajūri – may Allāh preserve him – on the 24th, Jumaadah Al-Aakhirah, 1443H

Chapter: The Shafaa’ah  (Intercession), and His statement: 

(وَأَنذِرْ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَن يُحْشَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْۙ لَيْسَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ وَلِىٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ) 

"And warn therewith (the Quran) those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord, when there will be neither a protector nor an intercessor for them besides Him, so that they may fear Allah and keep their duty to Him (by abstaining from committing sins and by doing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)."

[Al-An’aam: 51]

And His statement: 

(قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ جَمِيعًاۖ)  

Say: "To Allaah belongs all intercession."

[Az-Zumar: 44]

And His statement: 

(مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦۚ)

"Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission?"

[Al-Baqarah: 255]

And His statement:

(وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ) 

"And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and pleases."

[An-Najm: 26]

And His statement: 

(قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ وَلَا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُۥۚ)

Say: “Call upon those whom you assert (to be associate gods) besides Allah, they possess not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant), either in the heavens or on the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor there is for Him any supporter from among them. Intercession with Him profits not, except for him whom He permits.”

[Saba’: 22-23]

Abul-Abbaas said: Allaah negated what is other than Him all which the Mushrikun cling onto.

So He negated that there belong to other than Him dominion or a portion of it, or that there be an aider with Allaah. And nothing remained except intercession. So He clarified that it doesn’t benefit except for the one whom the Lord permits, as He said: 

(وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ) 

"And they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased."

[Al-Anbiyaa: 28]

This is the intercession which the Mushrikun thought. It is negated on the Day of Judgment, just as the Qur’aan negated it and the Prophet ﷺ informed: 

“That he will come and prostrate to his Lord and praise Him” (He will not begin with intercession firstly). Then it will be said to him: “Raise your head, speak and be heard, ask and be given, intercede and be granted.”

And Abu Hurairah said to him: 

"Who is the most happiest person with your intercession?" He said: "Whoever said 'Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah' sincerely from his heart." 

So that intercession is for the people of Ikhlaas (single out Allaah alone), by the permission of Allaah, and it won’t be for those who committed Shirk with Allaah.

And its reality is: That Allaah is the one who bestows His bounty upon the people of Ikhlaas so He forgives them with the intermediary of du’aa from whoever He grants permission to intercede, to honour him and to obtain a praiseworthy platform.

So the intercession which the Qur’aan negates is what has Shirk in it, and for this reason He affirmed intercession by His permission in many places.

And indeed the Prophet ﷺ had clarified that it won’t be except for the people of Tawheed and Ikhlaas. 

End of speech.

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