Intercession for One’s Brother: The word *shafa'ah* (intercession) is derived from the word *shaf'* (pair), which means making one into two. Allah the Exalted said: “And the even and the odd.” Thus, *shaf'* is the opposite of *witr* (odd).

The Shaykh : He says: :
The word *shaf'* is derived from its linguistic root, meaning to make one into two. Allah the Exalted said: Thus, *shaf'* is the opposite of *witr*, meaning to make a thing two. It is: “to mediate for another by bringing a benefit or removing a harm”. This intercession is mediating for another by bringing a benefit or removing a harm.
An example of the first: If you intercede for a person so that he is placed in a high position, that is bringing a benefit.
And an example of the second: If you intercede for a person whom someone wants to wrong, and you remove the injustice from him, that is removing a harm.
So, intercession is: “mediating for another by bringing a benefit or removing a harm”. And it, meaning intercession, is according to what is being interceded for. If it is in good, it is good; and if it is in evil, it is evil. So, whoever intercedes for his brother to reach a falsehood, it is evil. For this reason, bribery is forbidden. And whoever intercedes for his brother to reach a right, it is good. Allah the Exalted said: : So, intercession may be bad or it may be good.
His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): : The intended meaning is intercession in good. Intercession in good may be obligatory, as if a person intercedes for someone to remove injustice from him. In this case, intercession is obligatory, because it is obligatory for the Muslim to remove injustice from his brother to the extent he is able, even if the intercession is not requested of him, except if he knows the satisfaction of the wronged person, in which case it is not obligatory for him to intercede.
But if he knows that he will not be satisfied—as is the norm—and he is able to intercede, it is obligatory for him to intercede.
As for if the intercession is in a matter where there is no injustice, but there is the attainment of a desired thing, then intercession here is not obligatory, but it is good. A person is rewarded for it, as if a person asks you to intercede for him in obtaining a matter he desires, and it does not harm him religiously. In this case, we say: Intercession is a recommended practice (sunnah) and there is good in it, but it is not obligatory. This is unlike intercession in removing injustice, which is obligatory unless you know the satisfaction of the wronged person.
As for bad intercession, it is forbidden, and it is from the category of cooperating in sin and aggression. It is not permissible for anyone to intercede for anyone in it, because he would be helping him in a falsehood. An example of that: You see that a person has been prepared for a position, one of the positions. So a man comes to you and says: “My brother, I want you to intercede for me in obtaining this position.” In this case, it is not permissible for you to intercede for him. Why?
Because by this, you encroach upon the right of the one who came before, and the one who came before has more right. Except if you know that the one who came before is not qualified, and that he might be appointed to this position while he is not qualified for it. In that case, there is no harm in interceding for this man if he is qualified, because in this situation you are a reformer who wants to prevent this man who is not qualified from the position he wants to occupy. The result: Intercession in reality is according to what is being interceded for. If it is good, it is good; and if it is evil, it is evil. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : Meaning he gave him something in exchange for his intercession. : The intended meaning is: : Linguistic riba (usury or interest), which is increase, not legal riba, which is increase in specific things. Because legal riba, which is increase in specific things, does not apply to this, but linguistic riba applies to it. How is it linguistic riba? Because this person obtained the reward and good reputation through interceding for his brother. So if he accepts the gift, that is an increase over what he obtained through the intercession. Then, the gift is usually not known by people, so they think that this intercessor is doing a pure good deed, so he gains a good reputation for which he is not qualified, and he gains the money that was gifted to him, and this is an increase, an increase and riba. This is what the hadith applies to, if the hadith is authentic.
As for if it is not authentic, as the author said: “there is a discussion in its chain of narration”, that has sufficed us. But if it is authentic, this is the intended meaning. And it is also said: If the intercession is obligatory, it is forbidden for him to take the gift, because he has performed an obligation, and it is not permissible for a person to take a financial compensation for performing an obligation, because he is obligated by the Shari'ah, so how can he take something for a matter he is obligated to do? And this is another aspect of this gift being riba, meaning: an increase over what the intercessor was entitled to.
And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Is the intended meaning: brotherhood of lineage or brotherhood of religion?
The student: The second.

The Shaykh : The second, which is also based on the norm, because a person may intercede for a non-Muslim, because the dhimmi (a non-Muslim under Muslim protection) has a right and protection. So if you see someone wanting to wrong him and you intercede for him to remove the injustice from him, you are rewarded for that, because you are doing this in fulfillment of the covenant and protection between you, or between the Muslims and this dhimmi man. So, restricting it to “his brother” is from the category of emphasis, not from the category of restriction.