[Text from Imam Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab’s “Four Rules Regarding Shirk”]
The Second Rule: They (i.e. the disbelievers) said: “We did not invoke them nor turn towards them except to seek nearness (to Allah) and (their) intercession. The proof for their seeking nearness (to Allaah) is His saying:
“And those who take protectors besides Him (say): ‘We don’t worship them except to bring us closer to Allaah.’ Verily Allaah will judge between them concerning that which they differ in. Verily, Allaah does not guide he who is a liar, a disbeliever.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 3]
The proof for their seeking intercession is Allaah’s saying:
“And they worship besides Allaah things that harm them not nor benefit them. And they say: ‘These are our intercessors besides Allaah.’” [Surah Yoonus: 18]
Intercession is of two types: Intercession that is negated and Intercession that is affirmed.
Neither any angel brought near, nor any Messenger sent.8
[8]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation
His saying, “Neither any angel brought near, nor any Messenger sent”: the angel brought near – this is the most excellent ones from the angels such as Jibreel ‘alaihissalaam, and the bearers of the Throne, and those around it, and the angels drawn close to Allaah the Perfect and Most High. So despite the closeness of their place to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and their drawing close to Him with worship and their status with Allaah, if anyone were to associate them along with Allaah in worship then Allaah will not be pleased that an angel drawn close is associated with Him, nor any Prophet sent, such as Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and ‘Eesaa and Nooh and Ibraaheem, those Messengers who are firmest in resolve. He is not pleased that anyone should be associated with Him even if it be one of the most excellent of the angels, even if it be one of the most excellent of mankind.
The following is excerpted from the Shaykh Uthaymeen’s explanation of Aayatul-Kursi, Translated by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh rahimahullaah
[FOURTH]: In the fourth statement, Allaah, the Most High, said:
مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
Who is it that can intercede with Him except with His Permission?
[Qur’aan, Aayatul-Kursi , Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255]
The word { ْمَن } “Who” is an interrogative noun [46] and the intended use of the interrogation in the sentence is to assert the negation [that there is none who can intercede] as evident in the affirmation phrase which followed it: { ِ إإِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ } “Except with His Permission.” Whenever a negation takes the form of an interrogative construct, then the statement is infused with the meaning of challenge.
The Intercession (Ash-Shafaa’ah):
Regarding the saying of Allaah, the Most High:
{ يَشْفَعُ }
“Intercedes,”
know that:
1 . Linguistically, the term “shafaa’ah” means to make an odd number an even one.[47]
2 . Traditionally, it refers to the laying of a petition (interceding, mediating) with someone in favor of another, in procuring a benefit or warding off harm. Thus the shafaa’ah of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) for ahlul-mawqif [48] after the worry and distress which befalls them and which they are unable to bear is an intercession to ward off a harm. On the other hand, the Prophet’s shafaa’ah for ahlul-Jannah [49] to enter al-Jannah is aimed at procuring a benefit.
And to have eemaan in the Intercession (the Shafaa`ah) of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam on the Day of Resurrection for those guilty of sins; and upon the Bridge (as-Siraat), and to cause them to come out from within the Hell Fire. There is no Prophet except that he will have Intercession. And likewise will be the case with the eminently truthful and sincere followers of the Prophets, and the martyrs and the righteous people. And after that Allaah will bestow favour abundantly upon whomever He wishes; and people will come out of the Fire after they have been burnt and reduced to charcoal.
From the fundamentals of the (creed and belief of) Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah is eemaan in ash-Shafaa`ah (the Intercession) with the preconditions which are mentioned by Allaah the Majestic and Most High. That it has to be with His Permission, and that the one being interceded for is from the people of eemaan. As for the one who is interceded for being from the people who are disbelievers, then Intercession will not be accepted for him. He the Most High said:
So the Intercession of those who intercede will not benefit them (the disbelievers). (Sooratul-Muddaththir (74), aayah 48)
The disbelieving wrongdoers will have no close friend nor any intercessor who will be given heed to. (Soorah Ghaafir (40), aayah 18)
So the disbeliever, there will never be any Intercession for him ever. As for the believer, then Intercession is established for him if Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, grants permission. And the greatest of the intercessors and the Noble Chief of those who intercede will be our Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. So he will have Intercessions which will be specific to him and also Intercessions which he shares along with others.
Ash–shafaa`ah (the intercession) is also from the important matters of `aqeedah (creed and belief)[1] because people have gone astray with regard to affirming it. Some people went beyond the due limits in affirming it and others took a middle way.
So, with regard to the intercession on the Day of Resurrection, then the people have become divided about it, into three categories:
A people who went beyond the limits in affirming it to such an extent that they seek it from the dead and from the graves and from the idols and (from) the trees and (from) the stones.
And they worship besides Allaah that which cannot harm them and cannot benefit them; and they say, “These are our intercessors with Allaah.” (Soorah Yoonus (10), aayah 18)
(The people of shirk, they say,) “We do not worship them except so that they should draw us closer in nearness to Allaah.” (Sooratuz-Zumar (39), aayah 3)
And a group who go beyond bounds in denying intercession, such as the Mu`tazilah and the Khawaarij. So they denied that there would be any intercession regarding the people who commit major sins (ahlul-kabaa·ir). And they contradict the proofs from the Book and the Sunnah which are mutawaatir (reported by huge number of narrators at each level of narration) affirming the intercession (ash–shafaa`ah).
If, when they had wronged themselves, they had come to you – O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) – and had sought Allaah’s forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked for Allaah’s forgiveness for them, then they would have found that Allaah would have accepted their repentance and had mercy upon them. [Sooratun-Nisaa (4): 64]
Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:
“Since Allaah – the One free of all imperfections – knew that those to whom the Messenger was sent would certainly wrong themselves and follow their desires, He guided them to that which would repel the evil of that wrong and remove its causes. This lay in two things:
Firstly, there was something that they themselves were to do, which was to seek forgiveness of their Lord – the Mighty and Majestic.
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)
Question 59:What is the affirmed and nullified intercession?
The Answer:
Ash-Shafaa’ah is derived from ash-Shaf’a and it is the opposite of witr (one), and it is to make a single thing one of a pair or couple, for example to make the one two, the three four and so forth. This is as far as its linguistic derivation is concerned.
Traditionally, however, it means the laying of a petition (interceding, mediating) with someone in favor of another, in procuring a benefit or warding off a harm, i.e. the intercessor lays down a mediation between the one on whose behalf an intercession is sought (al-mashfoo’ilahu) and the one pleaded with (al-mashfoo’ ilayh), in order to procure a benefit for al-mashoo’ilahu or repel from him something harmful.
The Shafa’a of the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- cannot be achieved except by obedience to him.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
‘When the Messenger’s -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- status of being dependent Allaah Subhanahu was complete, all of the creation were in need of him in the Duniya(for the rulings of worshipping Allaah Alone) and inthe Hereafter:
As for their need of him in this world; then it isstronger than their need for food, drink and breathing by which their bodies remain alive.
As for their need of him in the Hereafter; then the people will seek intercession from the Messengers so that they can be relieved from their severe condition. All of the Messengers will refrain from interceding but the prophet Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- will intercede for them and he is the one who will open the gates of Paradise for them.’
Taken from ‘al-Fawaid’ by Shaykhul –Islaam Ibn al-Qayyim p. 99
The Shafa’a of the Angels
Taken from the Sharh of Aqeedatu Tahaweeya by Shaykh Salih aalush-Shaykh:
The fifth point:
Ash-Shafa’a on the Day of Judgement is not specifically for the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- nor for the other Prophets; rather the Angels will intercede and the Believers will intercede according to their status’: ( the scholars, the martyrs and the righteous people will intercede), as is established in the Saheeh that Allaah Ta’ala will say on the Day of Judgement: {{ the Angels have interceded, the Prophets have interceded, the believers have interceded and nothing remains except the mercy of The Most Merciful of those who show mercy, so Allaah Ta’ala will command that groups of people, who did not do any good whatsoever, should be taken out of the fire. }} (hadeeth from Saheeh Muslim) to the end of the hadeeth.
So here ash-Shafa’a is not specific to the Prophets, but the Angels will also intercede as Allaah Ta’alasaid describing the Angels who carry the ‘Arsh and other than them: <> [Ash-Shurah: 5] and this seeking forgiveness is before helping them in the worst destination and punishment. They are the most merciful -who have been given responsibility- to the people of Eemaan, since they have seen the punishment and the worst destination.
Allaah said: {{the Angels have interceded, the Prophets have interceded, the believers have interceded}} so there is a general ash-Shafa’a for every righteous believer to intercede; he will intercede for his close relatives and for whoever he wills.
The Shafa’a of Children for their Parents
Hadeeth – taken from Silsilah Saheehah No. 3416
On the authority of Habeebah or Umm Habeebah who said: ‘We were sitting in the house of ‘Aa’ishah, and the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–entered and said: ‘There are no two parents whose three children die before they reach the age ofaccountability, except that they are brought until they are standing at the door of Paradise.
“Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have the reward thereof.”
[An-Nisā’ 4:85]
246 Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Whenever a needy person would come to the Prophet ﷺ, he would turn to those who were present and say, “If you make intercession for him, you will be rewarded, because Allah decreed what He likes by the tongue of His Messenger”.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
247 Ibn `Abbas (May Allah bepleased with them), reported in connection with the case of Barirah(May Allah bepleased with her) and her husband: The Prophet ﷺ said to her, “It is better for you to go back to your husband.” She asked: “O Messenger of Allah, do you order me to do so.” He replied, “I only intercede” She then said: “I have no need for him”.[Al-Bukhari].
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