The chosen people of Allah Almighty will intercede for the sinners on the Day of Judgement.
(Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Surah Az-Zukhruf, Taht-al-Ayah 86, vol. 9, pp. 648)
What is intercession?
The literal meaning of shafa’at [intercession] are waseelah (medium) and “seeking”. Whereas according to Shar’iah, seeking goodness for another person is called intercession.
(Sharah-us-Saawi, pp. 400)
Belief in intercession
It is Wajib [obligatory] to have belief upon the fact that our beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is such an intercessor whose intercession will be accepted.
Ruling about the one who denies it
The one who denies the intercession of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, offering Salah behind him is not permissible as he is a disbeliever. (Bahr-ur-Ra`iq, vol. 1, pp. 611)
Does intercession mean forcing etc.?
Remember! Intercession will not be with force etc. Therefore, the one who completely denies intercession is faithless, and the one who believes in the forcible intercession like the polytheists of ‘Arab, is also an irreligious person. (Part 3, Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 255)
First of all will be our Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
No one will be allowed to intercede until our Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم opens the door of intercession. (Al-Mu’taqid Al-Mutanaqqid, pp. 240) It is also Wajib to believe in the fact that other than the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Ambiya and angels, Islamic scholars and martyrs, righteous ones and numerous believers, the glorious Quran, Siyam, and Ka’batullah etc., will all intercede. (Al-Mu’taqid Al-Mutanaqqid, pp. 247)
Two major types of intercessions
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ
اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states:
Intercession is of two types: Shafa’at-e-Kubra and Shafa’at-e-Sughra.
Shafa’at-e-Kubra will only be made by the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ
وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
This intercession will benefit the entire creation, even the disbelievers. As
due to the blessing of this intercession, the accountability will commence and
people will attain salvation from the field of the Judgement Day. This
intercession will only be done by the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ
وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
at
the initial time of the Judgement Day when the justice of Allah Almighty will be
revealed. At that time, no Nabi will have the courage to do that intercession.
Shafa’at-e-Sughra will be done at the time when the grace [of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ] will be manifested. A lot of people will do this intercession,
in fact, even the Holy Quran, Ramadhan and the blessed Ka’bah will also do this
intercession. For the elevation of ranks, Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ
وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
will
intercede for the righteous people, even for the Ambiya; and for the
forgiveness for sins, he صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will intercede for the sinful people like us.
Therefore, even the blessed Ambiya will benefit from the intercession by the
Beloved Rasool صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
اَللّٰھُمَّ
ارْزُقْنَا شَفَاعَۃَ حَبِیْبِکَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Intercession by the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ
وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
is
the hope for sinners like us. (Miraat-ul-Manajeeh, vol. 7, pp. 403)
State of the Shafa’at-e-Kubra
Sadr-ush-Shari’ah, Sayyiduna Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states: Attaining the rank of Shafa’at-e-Kubra on the Day of Judgement is among the specialities of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Shafa’at-e-Kubra will be for believers, disbelievers, obedient, sinners and everyone. As the wait for the accountability will be extremely severe, for which people would wish would that if we were thrown in the Hell and attained deliverance from this wait, so even disbelievers will attain deliverance from this affliction due to Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Upon this, Awwaleen-o-Aakhireen [those who came before and after], the acquaintances and those who opposed, believers and disbelievers will all praise the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. This is called the Maqaam-e-Mahmood. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 70)
Proof of intercession
Allah Almighty states:
عَسٰۤى اَنْ یَّبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا(۷۹)
Translation from Kanz ul Iman: It is near that your Lord may make you stand on a station where everyone will praise you. (Part 15, Surah Bani Israel, Ayah 79)
It is stated in the blessed Hadees: It was humbly asked to the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم: “What is Maqaam-e-Mahmood?” He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied: “هُوَ الشَّفَاعَةُ” i.e. It is the intercession. (Tirmizi, vol. 5, pp. 93, Hadees 3148)
Intercession of people more than the number of trees and pebbles
Our beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: اِنِّي لَاَرْجُو اَنْ اَشْفَعَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَدَدَ مَا عَلَى الْاَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ وَمَدَرَةٍ i.e. on the Day of Judgement, I will intercede for as many people as the number of trees and pebbles that exist on the face of the earth. (Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 9, pp. 7, Hadees 23004)
Who is deserving of the intercession?
Remember! Only he who believes in the intercession of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will be blessed with this intercession. As Ibn-e-Manee’ narrates on the authority of Sayyiduna Zayd Bin Arqam and thirteen other Sahabah عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ that the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: شَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَقٌّ فَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِهَا لَمْ يَکُنْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا i.e. my intercession on the Day of Judgement is haq [true]. The one who does not believe in it will not deserve it. (Jami’-us-Sagheer, pp. 301, Hadees 4896) After mentioning this blessed Hadees, Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه supplicates in the following manner: O Allah Almighty! You know that you have indeed guided us. So we have embraced faith upon the intercession of your Habeeb, Muhammad-e-Mustafa صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. O Allah Almighty! Make us deserving of the intercession in this world and the Hereafter. (Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah, vol. 29, pp. 585)
Direct intercession by my Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnah, Shah Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه mentions a very beautiful meaning of اَنَا صَاحِبُ شَفَاعَتِہِمْ in the following manner: Direct intercession in the court of Allah Almighty will be by the Holy Quran and Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Hence, on the Judgement Day intercession of all the angels, blessed Ambiya, Awliya and Islamic scholars, Huffaz and martyrs, and Hujjaj [pilgrims] and righteous ones, will be done in the blessed court of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. They will have access only to him. Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will also intercede for those whom they will mention as well as those whom they will not mention. In my opinion, this is the meaning that is derived and supported from the Ahadees. (Al-Mu’taqid Al-Mutanaqqid, pp. 240)
Intercession is of various types
The intercessions of our Beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will be of various sorts. Therefore, while mentioning the types of intercessions, ‘Allamah Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddis Dihlvi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states: First type of intercession is Shafa’at-e-‘Uzma. Second type of intercession will be to make one nation enter Paradise without accountability. This type of intercession is also proven for the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and some Islamic scholars are of the opinion that this type of intercession is only specific to the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Third type of intercession will be for those whose virtuous deeds and sins will be equal, and they will enter Paradise by the courtesy of the intercession. Fourth type of intercession will be for those people who would have become deserving of the hellfire. So Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will intercede for them and make them enter Paradise. Fifth type of intercession will be for the elevation of ranks and increase in nobility. Sixth type of intercession will be in favour of those sinners who would have entered Hell and would come out of it due to the intercession. Moreover, such kind of intercession will also be done by the other blessed Ambiya عَـلَيْـهِمْ الـصَّلٰوة ُ وَالـسَّلَام, angels, Islamic scholars and martyrs. Seventh type of intercession will be in relation to the opening of Paradise. Eighth type of intercession will be done in a special way for the dwellers of Madinah Munawwarah زَادَھَااللّٰہُ شَرَفًا وَّ تَعْظِیْمًا and those who beheld the blessed shrine of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Ashi’at-ul-Lam’aat, vol. 4, pp. 404)
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