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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Continuation of the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And intercession does not benefit with Him except for whom He permits”

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Now, regarding intercession, this is the beginning of today’s lesson.
And intercession does not benefit with Him وَلا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ
[Saba 34:23]
That is, with Allah.
except for one whom He permits إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
[Saba 34:23]
And here,
intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits لا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
[Saba 34:23]
because of the perfection of His authority. The negation here implies affirmation, which is the perfection of authority. For among the perfection of authority is that no one ever speaks in the presence of the King to whom intercession is sought except by His permission. Therefore, you find that if a person has prestige among people and is in a gathering, people do not speak out of respect for him. And you find that if a ruler has prestige, no one is able to speak in his place of sitting, nor with his brother in secret, because they fear him. So, because of the perfection of the authority of Allah the Exalted, no one can intercede except by His permission, even His most intimate servants, who are the prophets, and the most intimate of them is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not possible for him to intercede unless Allah permits, even in the station of mercy on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, Allah the Exalted will make a hundred mercies with which He will show mercy to the creation. In the station of mercy, and in the intensity of worry and grief that necessitates the mercy of Allah, it is not possible for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to intercede except by the permission of Allah, ever. Is that clear, everyone? Why? Because of the perfection of the authority of Allah the Exalted. If intercession does not benefit except by the permission of Allah, then can these idols, which are disliked by Allah and lowly in His estimation, intercede for their worshippers? Never. Even 'Isa (peace be upon him) cannot intercede for his worshippers. Therefore, he will say on the Day of Resurrection:
I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ
[Al-Ma'idah: 117] And he cannot intercede for them.
And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits. وَلا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
[Saba 34:23]
It was mentioned in the previous lesson that Allah does not permit except when the intercessor and the one for whom intercession is sought are among the people of intercession. Allah the Exalted said:
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves. وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ لا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى
[Al-Najm: 26] And He the Mighty and Majestic said:
and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves وَلا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى
[Al-Anbiya: 28] Therefore, the scholars said: “The conditions of intercession are three”: The pleasure of Allah with the intercessor, His pleasure with the one for whom intercession is sought, and the third is His permission for the intercession. Yes.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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