Discussion of the hadith of the Great Intercession and what is derived from it.
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The Shaykh : He grants the Great Intercession, which none of the noble messengers dare to seek until it reaches the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Great Intercession, O my brothers, is that people are resurrected on the Day of Resurrection and remain for fifty thousand years. Not one thousand years, nor ten thousand years, but they remain for fifty thousand years with no food, no drink, and nothing else. The sun draws near to them by the distance of a mile, and no one is safe from its heat except those whom Allah the Exalted shades in His shade on a day when there is no shade except His. People are afflicted with anxiety and sorrow that they cannot bear, and they are exhausted with great fatigue. So some of them say to others, "Will you not seek someone to intercede for us with Allah to relieve us from this standing?" Allah inspires them to go to Adam. Adam is— the brother— you, get up from Adam?
The student: The father of the prophets.
The Shaykh : Only the father of the prophets? No, no. But Adam is the father of whom?
The student: The father of mankind.
The Shaykh : The father of mankind, may Allah bless you. They come to Adam, who is the father of mankind, and say to him, "You are Adam. Allah created you with His Hand, made His angels prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things. Intercede for us with your Lord. Do you not see what we are in?" He excuses himself. He excuses himself from intercession. With what does he excuse himself? He excuses himself by saying that Allah forbade him from eating from the tree, but he ate from it. In this, Allah the Exalted says:.
If someone were to ask: How does he excuse himself from a sin from which Allah chose him afterwards and guided him? We say: Because the station of intercession is great and requires a high rank. And he, peace and blessings be upon him—I mean Adam—was ashamed before Allah the Exalted to be an intercessor for the creation while he had disobeyed his Lord, though he repented from this sin, and his Lord accepted his repentance and guided him. So they go to Noah. Noah, was he the first to be answered? He is the first of the messengers, not the first of the prophets. As for the first of the prophets, Adam is the first prophet to whom Allah revealed what He revealed. But the first of the messengers is Noah. They come to him and say to him, "You are the first messenger Allah sent to the people of the earth." They mention his virtues. "Do you not see what we are in? Intercede for us with Allah." He excuses himself. He excuses himself with what? That he asked for what he had no knowledge of, because he asked for what he had no knowledge of.
What is this question, O my brothers?
The student:[Hud 11:45].
The Shaykh : Yes, you have done well. Allah promised him—meaning Allah promised Noah, peace and blessings be upon him, that He would save him and his family. One of Noah's sons was a disbeliever, a disbeliever in his father, though he saw the signs. But whoever Allah misguides, there is no guide for him. He was a disbeliever. When Allah the Mighty and Majestic intended to destroy the disbelievers, He commanded the sky—so He opened the gates of the sky with pouring water, very great water pouring down. And reflect on His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Qamar 54:11] so that it becomes clear to you that the sky rained from every direction. [Al-Qamar 54:12] It means flowing waters. So the water met on a matter that had been decreed, and the water filled the earth until it reached the tops of the mountains. And Noah's son turned away. So his father said to him: [Hud 11:42] What? [Hud 11:42-43] So Noah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [Hud 11:45] And you promised me that you would save me and my family. [Hud 11:45] Allah said to him: [Hud 11:46] Allah is the Greatest. This is the speech of the first messenger Allah sent to the people of the earth, saying, "I warn you to be among the ignorant, so you ask for what you have no knowledge of."
In this verse there is a jurisprudential issue, which is that a disbeliever does not inherit from a Muslim. Where do we take this from? Please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : From His saying:[Hud 11:46] even though he is his son. It is derived from this noble verse that if the religion of the deceased and his relatives differs, then they do not inherit from him, because they are not of his people, even if they are related to him by lineage. But the religious ties are the principle.
The important thing is that Noah excuses himself with what he had no knowledge of.
They come to Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, the Imam of the Hanifs, about whom Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:123] They come to him and say, "You are the Intimate Friend of Allah." They mention his attributes. "Intercede for us with your Lord. Do you not see what we are in?" He excuses himself. He excuses himself by saying that he told three lies. And these lies are not true lies, but they are euphemisms. Euphemism is when the speaker intends with his words something that contradicts their apparent meaning. For example, if a questioner asked you, "Do you know so-and-so?" and you know him perfectly, and you said, "I do not know him," he understands that you are what? You do not know him, and in reality you know him. How can this denial be true? How is it possible?
Well, you say it is possible. You say, "I do not know him," for example, as a traveler. Is that correct or not? By Allah, you did not understand. The apparent meaning is one thing, and you are one of a large group?
A questioner asked you: "Do you know so-and-so, son of so-and-so?" You said, "I do not know him," and in reality you know him. You said, "I do not know him." The addressee understands that you do not know him, and in reality you know him. When is this speech true?
For example, you say, "I do not know him," meaning I do not know him as a traveler. I do not know him, meaning I do not know him as a liar. I do not know him if he has not married, meaning I do not know him as a married man. If he is a young man, you say, "I do not know," meaning I do not know him as an old man, for example. The important thing is that you interpret, and in interpretation there is a way out from lying. Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, said a word that was interpreted, but according to the listener it was not correct. So what are the lies?
The lies that he, peace and blessings be upon him, told are in reality not lies. What is the first one?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well, rest a moment. Look at the stars. He said, "I am sick," because his people used to worship the stars. And for this reason he argued with them, as Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:[Al-An'am 6:76] And is it his Lord? No, but according to their claim, [Al-An'am 6:76-77] meaning according to the claim of his people, [Al-An'am 6:77-78] He said, "I am sick." Was he sick when he said, "I am sick"? No. "Sick" means I will become sick, and the idols do not benefit anything. This is the first one. The second one, please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, rest a moment. Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, called his people to the oneness of Allah, and they used to worship idols. So they went out one day, and he returned to their idols and broke them.[Al-Anbya 21:59-63] And the one who broke the idols is this large idol, or is it Abraham?
Answer: It is Abraham, but he said, "Rather, it was their chief who did it," challenging his people. Meaning that this chief does not want anyone to compete with him in lordship and divinity. It is a hint that the true deity, who is Allah the Mighty and Majestic, does not accept that anyone is what? Has a partner for Him in worship. This is the second one. The third one?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, perfect. He passed by a tyrannical king who wanted his wife. So Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "This is my sister," and in reality she was his wife. But he said she was his sister in what? In Islam, this is in reality not lies according to the truth, but according to the addressee they are lies. So Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, excused himself by saying that he told these lies, even though in reality they are not lies.
Go to Moses. They come to Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, who is the best of the prophets of the Children of Israel. They ask him, saying, "You are Moses. Allah spoke to you and chose you for Himself." They mention his virtues. "Intercede for us with your Lord. Do you not see what we are in?" He excuses himself by saying that he killed a soul for which he was not commanded to kill it. What is the soul that he killed and was not commanded to kill?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, well. Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by a man from the Children of Israel and a man from the Copts who were disputing. So the Israelite called for help from Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, meaning he asked him for help against whom? Against the Copt. And Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, was a strong, powerful man. So he struck the Copt and killed him. The meaning of "killed him" is that he perished and died. He passed by again, and if his companion the Israelite is what? Disputing with another Copt. When he intended to strike the one who was their enemy,[Al-Qasas 28:19] And the family of Pharaoh were searching for the one who killed their companion. So he learned that Moses was the one who killed the Copt. So he killed the Copt yesterday and did not kill him on the second day. So he said that he killed a soul for which he was not commanded to kill it, and he made that one of the reasons for which he was ashamed to be an intercessor to Allah the Mighty and Majestic. How many are these prophets? Four: Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
They came to 'Isa (peace be upon him) and mentioned his virtues, asking him to intercede for them with Allah. However, he did not do so, nor did he make an excuse based on a sin; rather, he referred them to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because all the messengers acknowledge that Muhammad is the best of them. May Allah make me and you among his followers. For on the night of the Mi'raj, he prayed with them as the imam, and they were all behind him.[Al-Ma'idah 5:54] The point is that he referred them to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and did not mention anything to excuse himself. This is part of the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that Allah inspired the people to go first to their father, then to the first messenger, then to the friend of Allah, Ibrahim, and then to Musa. All of these make excuses with what they see as preventing them from intercession. As for 'Isa, he does not make an excuse for anything, but he acknowledges the excellence of whom? Of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So the end of the request is with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), some making excuses with what they see as preventing intercession, and some acknowledging the excellence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stands and intercedes. And there is no doubt that the Messenger is pleased with this and rejoices in it. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:79] And this, by Allah, is the station, and this station, by Allah, is praiseworthy. Who praises it? The first ones and the last ones, those from his ummah and those who preceded it. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) is given this by his Lord, and he is pleased. Good.
The Great Intercession, O my brothers, is that people are resurrected on the Day of Resurrection and remain for fifty thousand years. Not one thousand years, nor ten thousand years, but they remain for fifty thousand years with no food, no drink, and nothing else. The sun draws near to them by the distance of a mile, and no one is safe from its heat except those whom Allah the Exalted shades in His shade on a day when there is no shade except His. People are afflicted with anxiety and sorrow that they cannot bear, and they are exhausted with great fatigue. So some of them say to others, "Will you not seek someone to intercede for us with Allah to relieve us from this standing?" Allah inspires them to go to Adam. Adam is— the brother— you, get up from Adam?
The student: The father of the prophets.
The Shaykh : Only the father of the prophets? No, no. But Adam is the father of whom?
The student: The father of mankind.
The Shaykh : The father of mankind, may Allah bless you. They come to Adam, who is the father of mankind, and say to him, "You are Adam. Allah created you with His Hand, made His angels prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things. Intercede for us with your Lord. Do you not see what we are in?" He excuses himself. He excuses himself from intercession. With what does he excuse himself? He excuses himself by saying that Allah forbade him from eating from the tree, but he ate from it. In this, Allah the Exalted says:
So Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray. Then his Lord chose him and accepted his repentance and guided him.
فعصى ربه آدم فغوى ثم اجتباه ربه وتاب عليه وهدىIf someone were to ask: How does he excuse himself from a sin from which Allah chose him afterwards and guided him? We say: Because the station of intercession is great and requires a high rank. And he, peace and blessings be upon him—I mean Adam—was ashamed before Allah the Exalted to be an intercessor for the creation while he had disobeyed his Lord, though he repented from this sin, and his Lord accepted his repentance and guided him. So they go to Noah. Noah, was he the first to be answered? He is the first of the messengers, not the first of the prophets. As for the first of the prophets, Adam is the first prophet to whom Allah revealed what He revealed. But the first of the messengers is Noah. They come to him and say to him, "You are the first messenger Allah sent to the people of the earth." They mention his virtues. "Do you not see what we are in? Intercede for us with Allah." He excuses himself. He excuses himself with what? That he asked for what he had no knowledge of, because he asked for what he had no knowledge of.
What is this question, O my brothers?
The student:
and said, "My Lord, indeed my son is of my family
قال رب إن ابني من أهليThe Shaykh : Yes, you have done well. Allah promised him—meaning Allah promised Noah, peace and blessings be upon him, that He would save him and his family. One of Noah's sons was a disbeliever, a disbeliever in his father, though he saw the signs. But whoever Allah misguides, there is no guide for him. He was a disbeliever. When Allah the Mighty and Majestic intended to destroy the disbelievers, He commanded the sky—so He opened the gates of the sky with pouring water, very great water pouring down. And reflect on His saying, the Exalted:
Then We opened the gates of the heaven
فتحنا أبواب السماءAnd caused the earth to burst with springs
وفجرنا الأرض عيوناcome aboard with us and be not
اركب معنا ولا تكنand be not with the disbelievers." (43) [But] he said, "I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water." [Noah] said, "There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy." And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned.
ولا تكن مع الكافرين قال سآوي إلى جبل يعصمني من الماء قال لا عاصم اليوم من أمر الله إلا من رحم وحال بينهما الموج فكان من المغرقينMy Lord, indeed my son is of my family
ربي إن ابني من أهليand indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges!"
وإن وعدك الحق وأنت أحكم الحاكمينHe said, "O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant."
يا نوح إنه ليس من أهلك إنه عمل غير صالح فلا تسألني ما ليس لك به علم إني أعظك أن تكون من الجاهلينIn this verse there is a jurisprudential issue, which is that a disbeliever does not inherit from a Muslim. Where do we take this from? Please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : From His saying:
indeed he is not of your family
إنه ليس من أهلكThe important thing is that Noah excuses himself with what he had no knowledge of.
They come to Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, the Imam of the Hanifs, about whom Allah the Exalted said:
Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah.
ثم أوحينا إليك أن اتبع ملة إبراهيم حنيفا وما كان من المشركينWell, you say it is possible. You say, "I do not know him," for example, as a traveler. Is that correct or not? By Allah, you did not understand. The apparent meaning is one thing, and you are one of a large group?
A questioner asked you: "Do you know so-and-so, son of so-and-so?" You said, "I do not know him," and in reality you know him. You said, "I do not know him." The addressee understands that you do not know him, and in reality you know him. When is this speech true?
For example, you say, "I do not know him," meaning I do not know him as a traveler. I do not know him, meaning I do not know him as a liar. I do not know him if he has not married, meaning I do not know him as a married man. If he is a young man, you say, "I do not know," meaning I do not know him as an old man, for example. The important thing is that you interpret, and in interpretation there is a way out from lying. Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, said a word that was interpreted, but according to the listener it was not correct. So what are the lies?
The lies that he, peace and blessings be upon him, told are in reality not lies. What is the first one?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well, rest a moment. Look at the stars. He said, "I am sick," because his people used to worship the stars. And for this reason he argued with them, as Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:
So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord."
فلما جن عليه الليل رأى كوكبا قال هذا ربي(76) So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "I like not those that disappear." (77) And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."
فلما أفل قال لا أحب الآفلين فلما رأى القمر بازغا قال هذا ربيBut when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray." (78) And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah.
فلما أفل قال لئن لم يهدني ربي لأكونن من القوم الظالمين فلما بزغت الشمس قال هذا ربي هذا أكبر فلما أفلت قال يا قومي إني بريء مما تشركونThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, rest a moment. Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, called his people to the oneness of Allah, and they used to worship idols. So they went out one day, and he returned to their idols and broke them.
(59) They said, "Who has done this to our gods? Indeed, he is of the wrongdoers." (60) They said, "We heard a young man mention them who is called Abraham." (61) They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may testify." (62) They said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?" (63) He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak."
قَالُوا مَنْ فَعَلَ هَذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ قَالُوا فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ قَالُوا أَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُونَAnswer: It is Abraham, but he said, "Rather, it was their chief who did it," challenging his people. Meaning that this chief does not want anyone to compete with him in lordship and divinity. It is a hint that the true deity, who is Allah the Mighty and Majestic, does not accept that anyone is what? Has a partner for Him in worship. This is the second one. The third one?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, perfect. He passed by a tyrannical king who wanted his wife. So Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "This is my sister," and in reality she was his wife. But he said she was his sister in what? In Islam, this is in reality not lies according to the truth, but according to the addressee they are lies. So Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, excused himself by saying that he told these lies, even though in reality they are not lies.
Go to Moses. They come to Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, who is the best of the prophets of the Children of Israel. They ask him, saying, "You are Moses. Allah spoke to you and chose you for Himself." They mention his virtues. "Intercede for us with your Lord. Do you not see what we are in?" He excuses himself by saying that he killed a soul for which he was not commanded to kill it. What is the soul that he killed and was not commanded to kill?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, well. Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by a man from the Children of Israel and a man from the Copts who were disputing. So the Israelite called for help from Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, meaning he asked him for help against whom? Against the Copt. And Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, was a strong, powerful man. So he struck the Copt and killed him. The meaning of "killed him" is that he perished and died. He passed by again, and if his companion the Israelite is what? Disputing with another Copt. When he intended to strike the one who was their enemy,
he said, "O Moses, do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday?
قال يا موسى أتريد أن تقتلني كما قتلت نفسا بالأمسThey came to 'Isa (peace be upon him) and mentioned his virtues, asking him to intercede for them with Allah. However, he did not do so, nor did he make an excuse based on a sin; rather, he referred them to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because all the messengers acknowledge that Muhammad is the best of them. May Allah make me and you among his followers. For on the night of the Mi'raj, he prayed with them as the imam, and they were all behind him.