At-Tawwasul - Tawasool - Intercession Issues And Issues Of Ash-Shirk [i.e. Polytheism]
Allah (swt
) says:
" And
warn by it, those who fear to be gathered to their
Lord: Besides Him they will have no protector nor
intercessor: That they may become pious,
God-fearing" (Qur'an 6:51)
Allah (swt
), Most High commands His Prophet, Muhammad, (saas ) in
this verse to inform and strike fear into those who are
convinced of the truth of the Day of Resurrection: That
they will stand before their Lord on that Day, and that
they will find no helper, nor intercessor to intercede
between them and Allah's punishment, that hopefully,
they will fulfill the commands of Allah (swt ) and
abstain from that which He has forbidden.
Benefits
Derived From This Verse
1. That
warnings profit not except those who believe.
2.
Confirmation of the Resurrection.
3. That
there will be no intercession except and until its
conditions have been fulfilled.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That the
verse proves that no intercession will be excepted
unless and until its conditions have been met.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed
That the
verse proves that none can intercede on his own
initiative; therefore, to seek such intercession from
one of Allah's creatures is an act of major Shirk.
Likewise, seeking intercession from idols which their
worshippers claim can intercede with Allah (swt ) on
their behalf is a Shirk.
..ooOOoo..
Allah (swt
), says:
" Say
to Allah belongs all intercession. To Him belongs the
dominion of the heavens and the earth and to Him you
shall all return" (Qur'an 39:44)
Allah (swt
), Most Glorified, Most High, commands His Prophet,
Muhammad (saas ) in this verse to inform the people,
whatever their philosophy or creed, that the right to
grant every manner of intercession is purely and solely
for Allah (swt ), the Almighty, the All-powerful, and
none may contend with Him in it, nor can any intercede
except by His permission; then He affirms that He is the
One and Only Disposer of affairs in the heavens and the
earth and all that they contain and that there is no
escaping from the Day when all mankind will be returned
to Allah (swt ); then those who took others as
intercessors will know the futility of their deeds.
Benefits
Derived From This Verse
1. The
plurality of intercession.
2. That
intercession is the dominion of Allah and none may
intercede unless He Wills it and is pleased by the one
for whom intercession is made.
3.
Confirmation of the truth of the Resurrection.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That the
verse proves that every kind of intercession is the
dominion of Allah (swt ) and it will not be granted to
anyone unless Allah (swt ) permits it and Is pleased by
the one for whom intercession is sought.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of
Tawheed
That the
verse confirms that intercession is the dominion of
Allah (swt ), to which none other than He is entitled.
Therefore, seeking it from other than Allah (swt ) is an
act of major Shirk, including those idols which
people worship, claiming that they are doing so in order
to obtain intercession.
Important
Note
Allah's
Words: " to Allah belongs all
intercession" Prove that intercession is of
many different kinds and the scholars have mentioned
eight of them:
1.
Major
Intercession: It is that which will fall upon the
shoulders of the Prophet Muhammad (saas ) after all the
other Prophets and Messengers have refused to accept it
on the Day of Resurrection: The people will ask all of
the previous Prophets and Messengers to intercede with
Allah (swt ) on their behalf but they will refuse,
saying: "Myself! Myself!" Then they will come
to the Messenger of Allah (saas ), and he will accept,
and go to his Rabb and prostrate before Him for
as long as He wills, then he will be given permission to
raise his head and intercede on behalf of the believing
people, and none other than he (swt ) shall be given
this right and privilege.
2.
Intercession for the People of Paradise:
This has been confirmed by the long Hadith of Abu
Hurairah (ra ) which has been narrated by Bukhari and
Muslim and which mentions that the Prophet (saas ) will
intercede with Allah (swt ) on behalf of the People of
Paradise that they may be allowed to enter therein.
3.
Intercession
for the Disobedient Muslims: He (saas ) will
intercede with his Lord on behalf of those Muslims who
may have committed sins of disobedience to their Rabb,
Almighty, that they may not be placed in the Fire.
4.
Intercession
for the Disobedient People of Tawheed: He (saas
) will intercede with Allah (swt ) on behalf of those
Muslims who have entered the Hell-fire because of their
sins, that they may be removed from it. The authentic
narration concerning this has been widely reported and
all of the Companions and Ahl As-Sunnah are
agreed upon it.
5.
Intercession
for Increasing the Reward of the People of Paradise:
The Messenger of Allah (saas ) will intercede on behalf
of a people from amongst the People of Paradise, that
they may have their reward increased and their status
elevated; and there is none who disputes this.
6.
Intercession of the Prophet (saas )
for
his Uncle: He (saas ) will intercede on behalf of
his uncle Abu Talib, that his punishment in the
Hell-fire may be lightened.
7.
Intercession
of the Children: Those children who died while still
below the age of reason will intercede on behalf of
their believing parents.
8.
Intercession
of Some of the Believers for Others: It is
authentically confirmed that some of the Believers will
intercede on behalf of their believing brothers.
..ooOOoo..
Allah (swt
), says:
" Allah!
There is none has the right to be worshipped but He,
the Living, the Ever-lasting. Neither slumber or sleep
overtakes him. His are all things in the heavens and
the earth. Who is it that can intercede in His
presence, except as He permits? He knows what is
before them and what is behind them. Nor shall they
compass aught of His Knowledge, except as He Wills.
His Kursi extends over the heavens and the
earth and He feels no fatigue in guarding and
preserving them, for He is the Most High, Most
Great" (Qur'an 2:255)
Allah (swt
), Most Glorified, Most High informs us in this verse
that there is none who has the right to be worshipped
besides Him, because He is the Living, Whose Life is
complete and without beginning or end, Who gives life to
His creatures, but is in no need of anything and is
afflicted by nothing which affects His slaves, such as
tiredness, sleep, hunger etc. His Lordship is complete
and all-encompassing: His is the Dominion of the heavens
and the earth and all that is in them and none can
gainsay Him in anything concerning them, including the
matter of intercession, and none possesses power to
intercede except as He Wills and permits, and whose
intercession pleases Him. And He informs us that none
encompasses anything of His Knowledge except Him whom He
blesses and grants knowledge, whether Revelation or
other wisdom. And He tells us that His Kursi1extends over all of the heavens and the earth and
that guarding and protecting them causes Him no fatigue
or discomfort, for He (swt ) is the Most High, above all
of His creation, and He is the Most Great, Greater than
all others who claim greatness.
Benefits
Derived From This Verse
1.
Affirmation of five of Allah's Names: (i) Allah (swt );
(ii) Al-Hayy (the Living); (iii) Al-Qayyoom
(the Ever-lasting); (iv) Al-'Ali (the Most High);
(v) Al-'Azeem (The Most Great).
2. That
Allah (swt ) does not succumb to slumber or sleep, for
He is in no need of them; they are attributes of His
creatures which indicate imperfection and He is far
above any imperfection.
3. That
none may intercede with Him on his own initiative but
only as He permits.
4.
Evidence of Allah's Will.
5.
Confirmation of intercession after Allah (swt ) permits
it.
6. Proof
of the existence of Allah's Kursi.
7.
Evidence of Allah's Complete Power and Knowledge.
8.
Affirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of being Above,
both literally and metaphorically.
9.
Evidence of Allah's Greatness.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That the
verse negates any intercession by Allah's creatures on
their own initiative without His permission.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of
Tawheed
That it
negates any intercession by Allah's creatures of their
own volition, and therefore seeking such intercession
from other than Allah (swt ), is an act of major Shirk
including idols which their worshipers claim can
intercede with Allah (swt ) on their behalf.
Important
Note
This
blessed verse has been described in authentic Hadith as
the greatest verse in the Qur'an, and it is reported
that whoever recites it in the evening, will be
protected from Satan until he wakes in the morning, and
also that whoever recites it in the morning will be
protected from Satan until the evening, in accordance
with His Will.
..ooOOoo..
Allah (swt
), says:
" And
no matter how many be angels in the heavens, their
intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has
given leave for whom He Wills and pleases" (Qur'an
53:26)
Allah (swt
), Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse
that in the heavens there are hosts of angels, but in
spite of their large numbers, and their elevated status
in the sight of Allah (swt ), they cannot benefit anyone
unless Allah (swt ) grants them leave to intercede and
is Pleased with their intercession.
Benefits
Derived From This Verse
1. Proof
that all of the heavens are inhabited by angels.
2.
Evidence that intercession will only be granted on two
conditions: (i) That Allah has permitted the
intercession, and (ii) that He is pleased with the one
for whom intercession is sought. And Allah is not
Pleased with any save the People of Tawheed as is
confirmed by theHadith: "On behalf of whom
will your intercession be most pleasing (to Allah), oh,
Messenger of Allah?" He replied: Him who says: Laa
ilaaha illal-laah, sincerely, from his heart." 2
3.
Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Will.
4.
Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Pleasure.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That it
proves the negation of intercession by every created
thing unless two conditions are fulfilled: (i) That
Allah's permission is granted to the intercessor, and
(ii) that Allah (swt ) is pleased with the one for whom
intercession is sought.
Relevance
of This Verse to the Subject of
Tawheed
That the
verse proves that intercession is not granted except
after Allah (swt ) permits it and is pleased with the
person for whom intercession is sought, which proves
that intercession belongs to Allah (swt ) and therefore,
seeking it from other than Him is an act of major Shirk,
especially including the worship of idols in the belief
that they can intercede with Allah (swt ).
..ooOOoo..
Allah (swt
), says:
" Say:
"Call upon those whom you claim [as
gods] besides Allah: They have no power, not the
weight of an atom - in the heavens or on the earth. No
share have they therein, nor is any of them a helper
to Allah. No intercession can avail with Him, except
for those for whom He has granted permission. So much
so that, when terror is removed from their hearts,
they will say: "That which is true and
just; and He is the Most High, Most Great.""
(Qur'an 34:22-23)
In these
verses, Allah (swt ), Most Glorified, Most High,
challenges the polytheists to ask their objects of
worship which they have set up as partners with Allah (swt
), for they will not be able to grant any benefit or
protect anyone from harm because they possess not an
atom's weight of goodness or evil in the heavens or the
earth, nor do they have any share in the heavens or the
earth, nor are they helpers for Allah (swt ), nor
intercessors. Not even the angels or any other of
Allah's creations possess the power to intercede on
behalf of anyone except by His permission. Then Allah (swt
) makes plain that the angels, who are the most powerful
of Allah's creatures, fall down in fear and submission
to Allah (swt ) and His aweful Majesty. Then, when the
fear is removed from their hearts, they ask one another
concerning what their Rabb, the Almighty, the
All-powerful has Said; and some of them answer that it
is the firm truth, and He (swt ) is the Most High, the
Most Great.
Benefits
Derived From These Verses
1.
Negation of all the polytheists' claims regarding the
idols they worship - that they possess any power or
dominion in the heavens or the earth, or that they
have any share in that, or in Allah's Help, or that
they have the power of intercession with Allah (swt ).
2.
Confirmation of intercession after Allah (swt )
permits it and negation of it without His permission.
3.
Evidence of the awesomeness of Allah (swt ) and His
Greatness.
4.
Affirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Speech.
5.
Confirmation of two of Allah's Names: (i) Al-'Ali,
and (ii) Al-Kabeer.
Relevance
of These Verses to the Subject of the Chapter
That they
prove the negation of intercession without Allah's
leave.
Relevance
of These Verses to the Subject of
Tawheed
That the
verses prove the negation of intercession for all of
Allah's creatures on their own initiative, and that
granting intercession is the exclusive right of Allah (swt
), and therefore, to seek it from other than Allah (swt
) is an act of Shirk. This includes the worship
of idols which their worshipers claim have the power of
intercession.
Important
Note
Abul `Abbas
said: "Allah (swt ) has negated all that the
polytheists do in worship: Such as the belief that any
besides Allah (swt ) possesses sovereignty or has any
share in sovereignty, or aid, so that naught remains
except intercession; and He has made plain that
intercession is not possible except by His permission
for the intercessor and the Hadith of Major Intercession
also supports this, for in it is (reported the Words of
Allah (swt ) on the Day of Resurrection: "Raise
your head and ask and it shall be given; intercede and
it will be accepted." (Narrated by Bukhari)
And it
will not be accepted unless Allah (swt ) is Pleased with
the one for whom intercession is sought, as is proved by
the Words of Him (swt ), Most High:
" And
they offer no intercession except for those with whom He
is well-pleased" - and Allah (swt ) is not
well-Pleased except with the people of Tawheed as
evidenced by the Hadith: On behalf of whom will your
intercession be most Pleasing (to Allah swt ), Oh,
Messenger of Allah (saas )? He replied: "Him who
says: Laa illaha illallah, sincerely, from his
heart."
Footnotes
1.
Kursi: It has been authentically reported that the Kursi
is the resting place of the Feet of the Beneficent, and
it is the largest of all created things after the 'Arsh
(Throne).
2.
Narrated by Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra).