THE INTERCESSION: How And When?

Day of Judgment

The Intercession:

How And When?

Prophet’s Role As

‘Mercy For Mankind’

(M. Javed Naseem)

قُل لِلَّهِ ٱلشَّفَاعَةُ جَمِيعاً لَّهُ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ

وَٱلأَرْضِ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
“Say: To Allah belongs exclusively (the

right to grant) intercession. To Him belongs

the dominion of the heavens and the earth.

In the End, it is to Him that you shall

be brought back."

(al-Quran 39:44)

What you sow, so shall you reap! The life of this world is a bargain and if we are not paying attention to our ‘balance sheet’ of deeds, we’ll be shocked by this bargain. Anything we do to others would come back to us one day. Every good or bad action of ours would be compensated on merit, and one day we’ll be handed over the balance sheet.

 

The Day of Judgment or the Day of Reckoning or the Day of Accountability (it has many names) would be the longest day, full of agony and pain for the sinners.

فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ ٱلْوِلْدَانَ شِيباً

“Then how, if you disbelieve, will you

protect yourselves upon the day which

will turn children grey?”

(al-Quran 73:17)

يُدَبِّرُ ٱلأَمْرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ

فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
“He rules (all) affairs from the heavens to

the earth. In the end will (all affairs) go up

to Him, on a Day, the space whereof will

be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning.”

(al-Quran 32:5)

That day, also called the ‘Doom’s Day’ (or D/Day) would be full of misery and anguish, and nothing would avail us. Allah has warned us about that day in many verses of the Quran. He plainly commands us to guard against that day. The only safeguard against misery and anguish on that day would be the shield of ‘good deeds’.

وَٱتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً

وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ

وَلاَ هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
“Then guard yourselves against a day when

one soul shall not avail another nor shall

intercession be accepted for her, nor shall

compensation be taken from her, nor

shall anyone be helped (from outside).”

(al-Quran 2:48)

وَٱتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً

وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ

وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
“Then guard yourselves against a day

when one soul shall not avail another,

nor shall compensation be accepted from

her nor shall intercession profit her, nor

shall anyone be helped (from outside).”

(al-Quran 2:123)

Charity brings us the best fruit! Spending in charity can work wonders for the Hereafter. It can save us the humiliation and punishment on the Day of Judgment. It can also save us from the Fire.

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوۤاْ أَنْفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ

أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خُلَّةٌ وَلاَ شَفَاعَةٌ

وَٱلْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّالِمُونَ
“O you who believe! Spend out of (the

bounties) We have provided for you,

before the Day comes when no bargaining

(will avail), nor friendship nor intercession.

Those who reject Faith they are

the wrong-doers.”

(al-Quran 2:254)

That’s a big decree! ‘Those who reject Faith, they are the wrong-doers’, and wrong-doers would be the fuel of Hellfire. So, Faith is your best protection. But, instead of putting our trust in Allah (that’s Faith), we have faith in the ‘power’ of human beings, world leaders, super powers!

وَلاَ يَمْلِكُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلشَّفَاعَةَ

إِلاَّ مَن شَهِدَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
“And those whom they invoke besides

Allah have no power of intercession –

only he who bears witness to the Truth,

and they know (him).”

(al-Quran 43:86)

فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ ٱلشَّافِعِين
“Then will no intercession of (any)

intercessors profit them.”

(al-Quran 74:48)

The ‘super powers’ of today are playing god in the world bringing destruction to humanity in the name of construction. They create fear by terrorizing the weaker nations. That’s the newest form of slavery where nations, not individuals, are enslaved and their wealth/resources plundered by the so-called rich nations. Muslim leaders with weak faith (Imaan) or no faith, are submitting to them one by one. But can these corrupt ‘super powers’ deliver them?

  

َأَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً إِن يُرِدْنِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ بِضُرّ

لاَّ تُغْنِ عَنِّى شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُنقِذُونَ
"Shall I take (other) gods besides Him?

If (Allah) Most Gracious should intend

some adversity for me, of no use whatever

will be their intercession for me,

nor can they deliver me.”

(al-Quran 36:23)

وَكَمْ مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ لاَ تُغْنِى شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئاً

إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ
“How many-so-ever be the angels in the

heavens, their intercession will avail nothing

except after Allah has given permission for whom

He pleases and that he is acceptable to Him.”

(al-Quran 53:26)

The leaders of the Muslim countries look forward to the unbelievers to protect the believers. What a pity and what an irony. This is the time of ‘need’ for us and still we ignore the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. Muslims should know what door to knock at.

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ شُفَعَآءَ قُلْ أَوَلَوْ

كَـانُواْ لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَعْقِلُونَ

“What! Do they take for intercessors

others besides Allah? Say: Even if

they have no power whatever,

and no intelligence?"

(al-Quran 39:43)

We are responsible for our own actions and in the Hereafter, we will be rewarded accordingly. It is a shame to blame the Almighty Merciful for the mischief of our own. We are following the Satan, hence this corruption and chaos.

We are a herd of sheep and need a good shepherd. And who in the universe could be a better shepherd than Muhammad (s.a.w.), who’ll beg Almighty Allah for mercy for his nation (Ummah) on the Day of Judgment, crying “Ummati, ummati!” (my  Ummah, my Ummah!).

Here is a beautiful Hadith from Sahih Bukhari (volume 6, book 60, No. 3): Narrated Anas:

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said:  "On the Day of Resurrection the believers will assemble and say, 'Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.' So they will go to  Adam and say, 'You are the father of all the people, and Allah  created you with His Own Hands, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things; so please intercede  for  us with your Lord, so that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' Adam will say, 'I am not fit for this (i.e. intercession for you).' Then Adam will remember his sin and feel ashamed thereof.  He will say, 'Go to Noah, for he was the first Apostle, Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.'

They will go to him and Noah will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking.' He will remember his appeal to his Lord to do what he had no knowledge of, then he will feel ashamed thereof and will say, 'Go to Khalil-ur-Rahman (i.e. Abraham).'

They will go to Abraham (Ibrahim) and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking. Go to Moses, the slave to whom Allah spoke (directly) and gave him the Torah.'

So they will go to Moses and he will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking', and he will mention (his) killing a person who was not a killer, and so he will feel ashamed thereof before his Lord, and he will say, 'Go to Jesus, Allah's Slave, His Apostle and Allah's Word and a Spirit coming from Him.’

They’ll come to Jesus and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking. Go to Muhammad, the Slave of Allah, whose past and future sins were forgiven by Allah.'

يَوْمَئِذٍ لاَّ تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَاعَةُ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ

لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَرَضِىَ لَهُ قَوْلاً
“On that Day shall no intercession avail

except for those for whom permission has

been granted by (Allah) the Most Gracious,

and whose word is acceptable to Him.”

(al-Quran 20:109)

‘So they will come to me and I will proceed till I will ask my Lord's permission and I will be given permission. When I see my Lord, I will fall down in prostration and He will let me remain in that state as long as He wishes and then I will be addressed:’

'O Muhammad! Raise your head! Ask, and your request will be granted; say, and your saying will be listened to; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.'

لاَّ يَمْلِكُونَ ٱلشَّفَاعَةَ إِلاَّ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَهْداً
“None shall have the power of intercession,

but such a one as has received permission

(or promise) from (Allah) the Most Gracious.”

(al-Quran 19:87)

‘I will raise my head and praise Allah with a saying (i.e. invocation) He will teach me, and then I will intercede. He will fix a limit (number of people) for me (to intercede for) whom I will admit into Paradise.’

‘Then I will come back to Allah, and when I see my Lord, the same thing will happen to me. And then I will intercede and Allah will fix a limit for me to intercede, whom I will let into the Paradise.’

‘Then I will come back again for the third time; and then I will come back for the fourth time, and will say, 'None remains in Hell but those whom the Quran has imprisoned (in Hell) and who have been destined to an eternal stay in Hell’.

The compiler, Abu Abdullah, said: 'But those whom the Quran has imprisoned in Hell, refers to the statement of Allah. The Almighty said in the Holy Quran, Surah an-Nahl, Ayah No.29:

فَٱدْخُلُوۤاْ أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

“So, enter the gates of Hell, to dwell

therein for ever. Woeful indeed will be

the lodging of the arrogant.”

(al-Quran 16:29)

We should remember one thing here – no wishful thinking! This intercession (Shafa’at) from Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) will take place AFTER the judgment had been passed and people are destined and driven to the Paradise or Hell. Our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.) would get people (believers but sinners) OUT of Hell and would get them admitted INTO the Paradise, by mercy of The Almighty. That should not give you a false hope that nobody would be touched by the Hellfire!

The sinners (Muslims/believers) would spend a short time in Hell tasting the punishment of Fire and boiling water, even if it was for a few minutes, a few hours, a day or a couple of days. And remember! One day over there would be equal to one thousand years of our time (of this world).

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلْعَذَابِ وَلَن يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ

وَإِنَّ يَوْماً عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
“Yet they ask you to hasten on the

Punishment! But Allah will not fail in

His promise. Verily, a Day in the sight

of your Lord is like a thousand years

of your reckoning.”

(al-Quran 22:47)

I heard some of my Arab friends saying during a discussion that the Muslim sinners would spend half a day or one day or two, maximum three days in Hell and then they would be brought to Heaven because of the intercession (Shafa’at) of our Prophet. In other words, it is not a big deal, we’ll get out of Hell eventually.

It’s not a big deal? You must be under-estimating the ‘Azaab’ or punishment of Fire. The mighty and fierce flames would engulf you from all sides; boiling water would be poured on you; your skin would totally be burnt and you would be given new skin every time so that you could feel the pain of burning, etc., etc. And they say it’s not a big deal?

Astaghfir-Ullah!

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَاراً

كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُوداً غَيْرَهَا

لِيَذُوقُواْ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً

“Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations,

We shall expose them to the Fire. As often

as their skins are consumed We shall

exchange them for fresh skins that they

may taste the torment. Lo!

Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.”

(al-Quran 4:56)

هَـٰذَانِ خَصْمَانِ ٱخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ

فَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ

يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ ٱلْحَمِيمُ

“These two antagonists dispute with each

other about their Lord. But those who deny

(their Lord), for them will be cut out a

garment of Fire; over their heads will be

poured out boiling water.”

(al-Quran 22:19)

I hope we realize how severe the punishment would be. It’s time to repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness.

Therefore, if you seek salvation, follow the Quran. It is a divine formula for success both in this world as well as in the Hereafter. It can protect you from the Fire.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلواَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَواةَ وَهُمْ بِٱلآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ

أُوْلَـٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ

 وَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

“Those who establish worship and pay the 

poor-due and have sure faith in the Hereafter,

such have guidance from their Lord.

Such are the successful.”

(al-Quran 31:4-5)

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