The Muslimah Corner

[FOURTH]

عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ) مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ

Who is it that can intercede with Him except with His Permission?

The word ( من) “Who” is an interrogative noun¹ and the intended use of the interrogation in the sentence is to assert the negation [that there is noun who can intercede] as evident in the affirmation phrase which followed it: (إلا بإذنه) “Except with His Permission.” Whenever a negation takes the form of an interrogative construct, the statement is infused with the meaning of challenge.

The Intercession ( Ash-Shafaa’ah)

Regarding the saying of Allah, the Most High ( يشفع ) “Intercedes,” know that:

1. Linguistically, the term “shaffa’ah” means to make an odd number an even one.²
2. Traditionally, it refers to the laying of a petition (interceding, mediation) with someone in favor of another, in procuring a benefit or warding off harm. Thus the shafaa’ah of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) for ahlul-mawqif³ after the worry and distress which befalls them and which they are unable to bear it an intercession to ward off a harm. On the other hand, the Prophet's shafaa'ah for ahlul-Jannah⁴ to enter al-Jannah is aimed at procuring a benefit.
3. None can intercede expect by Allaah's Permission: ( إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ). He Leave is Kawni.⁵ His Judgment among the people of al-mawaqif. They will be relived from their long standing by virtue of his interceding with Allah on their behalf.⁶ Even Mohammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) who has the greatest rank with Allah cannot intercede except with prior leave from Allah. He will be granted this permission after he (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) prostrates before Allah and praises and glorifications which Allah guides him to it on that day. Then it will be said :

" أرفع رأسك وقل يسمع واشفع تشفع " "Raise your head and speak; you will be listened to, intercede and your intercession will be accepted." [ It is known ] that no one has a rank with Allah greater than that of the Messenger [Muhammad ] nevertheless, he (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) cannot intercede except with the prior leave of Allah . It is so because of Allah Most Majestic and Most High's perfection of Authority and hayybah.⁷ The more king's authority becomes fully established, the more reverent and respected he becomes. People would not even speak in his court unless he speaks consider the Prophet's (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) relation with his Companions and which Quraysh's⁸ emissary ['Urwah bin Mas'oud] described [after finalizing the treaty of Al-Hudaybuiyah]: " وإذا تكلموا خفضوا أصواتهم " البخاري" And when they spoke to him they would lower their voices"⁹ All of this is out of respect. You find that if a king is revered by his flock then no one can speak in his court and his presence because of the might of his authority .¹⁰

[The Conditions of Confirmed Intercession]: ¹¹

Allah (عز وجل) has made it clear that He does not permit intercession except for the one whom He approves of and whose word is acceptable to Him, and for the one He is pleased with and on whose behalf intercession shall be made. It is inevitable that Allah is pleased with ash-shaafi', the intercessor, and al-mashfoo'I lahu, the one on whose behalf intercession is sought.¹² Consequently, the intercessions mentioned above are the ones which are approved by Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) The annulled intercession is any intercession which is not approved by Allah (عز وجل). Idols of the polytheists could not intercede on their behalf with Allah because Allah does not approve them. The Prophets and the righteous do not intercede on behalf of the polytheists because latter are not approved with Allah. Accordingly, the conditions for the confirmed shafaa’ah are three:

1. Allah’s permission of it.

2. Allah being pleased with the saafi’.

3. His approval of the one on whose behalf intercession is sought (al-mashfoo’i lahu).¹³

References:

1. In the grammatical sense the noun (من) is the subject, and the term (ذا) is omitted for being redundant. The term (الذي)” he that is a relative pronoun standing as the predicate of the subject (من ) “Who”. [Author’s note].
2. Allah said ( الشفع والوتر و) [which means ],And by the shaffa’ah (even) the witr(odd) [ of all the creations of Allah]. [Qur'aan Soorat Al-Fajr (89:3) ]
3. Ahlul –Mawqif: All human beings gathered on one plane on the Day of Resurrection awaiting their accounts to be taken by Allah . The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) said, "The sun will come so close to the people that they will suffer distress and trouble as they will not be able to tolerate it or to bear it." The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم ) interceded with Allah to pronouns.
4. Ahlul Junnah: The believers who will be admitted to reside forever in al-jannah.
5. Kawbi: Pertaining to the Universal Will of Allah, the Most Majestic and Most Magnificent, and which is im accordance with His Foreknowledge and wisdom. Creation , provisions, life , death , permission to intercede, and so forth exist by the Will of Allah. Everything which Allah wills is certain to occur. He Willed that eemaan and Hates kufr. On the other hand, the Legislative Decree (al-hukm as-shar'i) comprises the Reveled scriptures. Under this Decree, Allah Loves that mankind believe in Him (eeman) and does not Love for them and to commit kufr. Mankind, however , may or may not belie in Allah In short, under His Universal Will, everything Allah Wills what is beloved to Allah my or may not take place ..
6. Part of long and agreed upon hadeeth [See Saheeh Al-Bukahaari ( Arabic / English )], vol.6, no 3 and no.236.
7. Hayyabah : An attribute inspiring reverence, or veneration.
8. Quraysh is the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم)
9. This is part of long hadeeth detailing the story of the treaty of Al- Hudaybiyah. [ See Sheeh Al-Bukhaari ( Arabic/English )], vol.3 no.891 ..
10. Kings are in need of intercessors because of the imperfection of their knowledge, might and authority. Allah, Most Perfect in His Might, Knowledge, and Authority, is in no need for intercessors. That is why intercession with Allah takes place only if He permits it. With kings, however, intercession is permitted with or without a king's permission. Those close to the king, for example, may intercede without permission .[See Shaykah ibn 'Utaymeen's Al-Qawlul Mufeed ' Alaa kitabit-]
11. The intercessions permitted by Allah تعالى are six. The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) will have the privilege of making three of these intercessions. They are :

1. The prophet's intercession for ahlul-mawqif. This is known as the Prophet's greatest shafaa'ah and it is part of the highest station of praise and honour (al-maqaam al-mahmood) with which the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم is distinguished, and for which he will be praised by all creatures. It is mentioned the Qur'aan [17:78]

2. The Prophet's intercession for ahalul-Jannah to enter al-Jannah.

3. The Prophet ( صلي الله عليه وسلم) intercession with Allah to reduce the punishment of his uncle, Abu Taalib because of his protection and support of the Prophet ( صلي الله عليه وسلم ). He will be placed in a shallow part of Hell-Fire. The other intercessions are not restricted to the Prophet Mouhammad صلي الله عليه وسلم . They include .

4. The Prophet's intercession with Allah ( تعالى ) that He does not cast into Hell that one who deserve it.

5. His intercession of talking out from hell those to it as a result of their sins.

6. The intercession to raise the ranks of the believers . This is the du'aa of Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) to believers and By the believers for each other. [ See (1) Shaykh Bin Baaz's commentary on ibn Taymeeyah's Al-'Aqeedah Al-Waasittiyyah which shaykh 'Ali Hassan' Abdul Hameed. Complied in his verification of Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan As –Sa'do's book At-Tambeehaat Al-lateefah 'Ala Al-Waasitiyyah (Dammam, Saudi Arabia: Saar ibnul 'Uthaymeen's Al-Wawlul-Mufeed, pp.332-335).

12. The conditions are stated in the following aayaat:

1. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ )(البقرة: من الآية255) Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission .[ Qur'aan, Soorat Al-Baqarah (2.255)].

2. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: )يَوْمَئِذٍ لا تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوْلاً) (طـه:109) On that day no intercession shall avail, except the one for whom ar-Rahman has given permission and whose word is acceptable to Him, [Qur'aan, Soorat Taha (20:109)]

3. Allah ( سبحانه وتعالى ) says: وَلا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى )(الانبياء: من الآية28) And they cannot intercede except for him, with whom He is pleased.

13. The case intercession on behalf of the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Talib is executed and in a very limited sense from the ruling stated in Allah’a saying : )فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ) (المدثر:48) No intercession of intercessors will be of any use to them [unbelievers, polytheists.] [Qur’aan , Soorat Al-Muddathir (74:48)]. Abu Taalib stood in support of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and proteceted him form his enemies of Quraysh . The intercession on behalf of Abu Taalib is special for the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). Other than this special intercession, none is allowed to intercede for a kaafir. Even Abu Taalib is not saved from the Fire of Hell. Had it not been for the intercession of Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) , Abu Talib “ Would have been it the bottom of the (Hell) Fire,” as the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said. “Perhaps May intercession will be helpful to him on the day of Resurrection so that he may be put in a shallow fire reaching only up to his ankles with which his brain will boil.” He (صلي الله عليه وسلم) added.[See Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, vol.5, no 222 and no.224, and Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen’s Al-Qawlul Mafeed, vol.1,p.334].