A Discussion of the Narrations

The Prophet’s Intercession

From Abū Dharr who said: The Messenger of God prayed one night and recited a verse until morning, bowing and prostrating with it: “If You punish them, they are indeed Your creatures; but if You forgive them, You are indeed the All-mighty, the All-wise.” When morning came, I said: O Messenger of God! You continued reciting this verse until morning? He said: I asked my Lord for intercession (shafāʿa) for my community (umma) and He granted it to me, and it will reach, God willing, whoever does not associate anything with God.(364)

Reference: 1. From the promise that God has given to the Messenger that He will raise him to a praiseworthy station (maqām maḥmūd): “And keep vigil for a part of the night, as a supererogatory [devotion] for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station”,(365) without mentioning any restriction or specification for that station, it follows that His Holiness possesses the highest degree of intercession.

2. The intercession of prophets is not exclusive to their own communities (umam), but rather every prophet can, with God’s permission, intercede for any believer who believed in his prophethood (risāla), even if that interceded-for person (mashfūʿ lahu) is not part of that prophet’s community.

3. The interceded-for person must be pleasing to God in religion (marḍī l-dīn)(366) and since none of the atheistic beliefs that bear the title of disbelief (kufr) are pleasing to God,(367) disbelievers (kuffār) and polytheists (mushrikūn) will never be included in the intercession of any intercessor (shafīʿ) on the Day of Resurrection.