Explanation of the author's statement: And His saying: ((And how many angels are in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing except after Allah grants permission to whom He wills and is pleased))

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

The Shaykh :"And His saying:

And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all

وكم من مَلَك في السماوات لا تغني شفاعتهم شيئاً

[An-Najm 53:26]

" Is "how many angels" a statement of fact or a question? It is a statement of fact indicating abundance, meaning that many angels in the heavens, whose intercession avails nothing, are numerous. How numerous are the angels in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing

except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.

إلا من بعد أن يأذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى

[An-Najm 53:26]

As you know, this verse is in the context of explaining the falsity of the divinity of al-Lat and al-'Uzza. Allah the Exalted said:

Have you seen al-Lat and al-'Uzza

أفرأيتم اللات والعزى

Look, after mentioning the ascension and what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) reached of what he reached, and said:

He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.

لقد رأى من آيات ربه الكُبرى

[An-Najm 53:18]

These are signs pointing to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so how much more so is the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) greater and more magnificent? Then immediately after that he said:

Have you seen al-Lat and al-'Uzza

أفرأيتم اللات والعزى

This question is for belittlement, meaning after this greatness that you have heard and the great, major verses, tell us about al-Lat and al-'Uzza: what is their greatness and what is their magnificence? There is no doubt that this is the ultimate in belittlement.

Have you seen al-Lat and al-'Uzza

أفرأيتم اللات والعزى

What is their magnificence? What do you say? Nothing, nothing.

Is the male for you and for Him the female?

ألكُم الذكر وله الأنثى

[An-Najm 53:21]

The student: And Manat

The Shaykh :

⁽²⁰⁾ And Manat, the third - the other one? ⁽²¹⁾ Is the male for you and for Him the female? ⁽²²⁾ That, then, is an unjust division. ⁽²³⁾ They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance. ⁽²⁴⁾ Or is there for man whatever he wishes? ⁽²⁵⁾ Rather, to Allah belongs the Hereafter and the first [life]. ⁽²⁶⁾ 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.

ومناة الثالثة الأخرى * أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الأُنْثَى * تِلْكَ إِذاً قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى * إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى * أَمْ لِلإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى فَلِلَّهِ الآخِرَةُ وَالأُولَى * وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى

[An-Najm 53:20-26]

If the angels, who are in the heights of the heavens, do not intercede and their intercession avails nothing except if Allah grants permission to whom He wills and is pleased, how much more so al-Lat and al-'Uzza, which are on earth? And for this reason He came with His saying:

And how many angels there are in the heavens

وكم من ملك في السماوات

[An-Najm 53:26]

Even though angels are in the heavens and on earth, He intended the angels in the highest heavens, who are with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).

how many angels there are in the heavens

كم من ملك في السماوات

[An-Najm 53:26]

Even the angels closest to Allah, the bearers of the Throne.

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.

كم من ملك في السماوات لا تغني شفاعتهم شيئاً إلا من بعد أن يأذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى

[An-Najm 53:26]

Al-Lat and al-'Uzza, these idols that are lowly in place and lowly in attribute, do they avail without Allah's permission? Never. If the closest angels in the heavens, whose intercession avails nothing except after Allah grants permission to whom He wills and is pleased, then what about these idols that you worshipped and claimed were intercessors for you with Allah? Their intercession avails nothing. And intercession, as you have known before, is mediating for another to bring a benefit or remove a harm, except after Allah grants permission to whom He wills and is pleased. There are two conditions: that Allah grants permission, so He (Mighty and Majestic) grants permission to whom He wills of the angels to intercede, and that He is pleased, meaning He is pleased with the state of the one for whom intercession is sought, as He said in the second verse:

and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves

ولا يَشفعون إلا لمن ارتضى

[Al-Anbya 21:28]

So it is necessary that Allah the Exalted grants permission to the intercessor and is pleased with the one for whom intercession is sought. And it is not possible for Him to grant permission except after He (Mighty and Majestic) is pleased with the one for whom intercession is sought, otherwise He cannot grant permission, except for one issue that has been mentioned before, which is the intercession of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for Abu Talib.

Source alathar.net

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

Similar fatwas