Intercession ( shafa’a / شفاعة) refers to the act of pleading or intervening on someone’s behalf. In the context of the Hereafter, it specifically denotes the idea of one entity interceding to God on the Day of Judgement to change the outcome of another, thus forever altering their destiny in the Hereafter. Check out the following article for some of the Hadith and understandings traditionalists have regarding intercession.
The root for the word intercession ( shafa’a / شفاعة) is “shin-fa-ayn” ( ش ف ع) and has the following derivative meanings.
intercede; intercessor; to make even that which was odd; make double; pair; make a thing to be on of the pair; adjoin a thing to its like; protect; mediate
The root occurs 31 times in the Quran. Five of these occurrences are outside of the context of intercession, four in 4:85 in the context of mediating a good or bad deed, and one in 89:3 in reference to the meaning of “even,” like even and odd. This leaves 26 occurrences where the word is used in the context of the Day of Judgment.
The 26 verses in the Quran that discuss intercession can typically be divided into two categories. 18 of these 26 occurrences concern verses that discredit the possibility of any entity interceding on behalf of another on the Day of Judgment. The other 8 occurrences occur in verses that appear to present a caveat to this rule.
These can be further subdivided among the 8 occurrences that present a caveat. Three verses state that there is no intercession except in accordance with God’s will. Three other occurrences add a caveat of who God has approved. One verse states, except who took from the Most Gracious a covenant. And the last verse states, except who bore witness to the truth.
The three main takeaways I want to show in this analysis are the following:
No third party will be able to
Let’s start by looking at the first batch of verses.
NO INTERCESSION VERSES
Below is the full list of all the verses that clearly state that there are no other intercessors on the Day of Judgment.
2:48 Beware of the day when no soul can avail another soul, no intercession will be accepted, no ransom can be paid, nor can anyone be helped.
2:254 O you who believe, you shall give to charity from the provisions we have given to you, before a day comes where there is no trade, no nepotism, and no intercession. The disbelievers are the unjust.
6:51 And preach with this (Quran) to those who reverence the summoning before their Lord— they have none beside Him as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor—that they may attain salvation.
6:70 You shall disregard those who take their religion in vain, as if it is a social function, and are totally absorbed in this worldly life. Remind with this (Quran), lest a soul may suffer the consequences of its evil earnings. It has none beside GOD as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor. If it could offer any kind of ransom, it would not be accepted. They suffer the consequences of the evil works they earn; they have incurred hellish drinks, and a painful retribution because of their disbelief.
6:94 “ You have come back to us as individuals, just as we created you the first tim e, and you have left behind what we provided for you. We do not see with you the intercessors that you idolized and claimed that they will help you. All ties among you have been severed; the idols you set up have abandoned you.”
7:53 Are they waiting until all (prophecies) are fulfilled? The day such fulfillment comes to pass, those who disregarded it in the past will say, “The messengers of our Lord have brought the truth. Are there any intercessors to intercede on our behalf? Would you send us back, so that we change our behavior, and do better works than what we did?” They have lost their souls, and their own innovations have caused their doom.
10:18 They worship beside GOD idols that possess no power to harm them or benefit them, and they say, “ These are our intercessors at GOD!” Say, “Are you informing GOD of something He does not know in the heavens or the earth?” Be He glorified. He is the Most High; far above needing partners.
26:92 They will be asked, “Where are the idols you had worshiped
26:93 “beside GOD? Can they help you now? Can they help themselves?”
26:94 They will be thrown therein, together with the strayers.
26:95 And all of Satan’s soldiers.
26:96 They will say as they feud therein,
26:97 “By GOD, we were far astray.
26:98 “ How could we set you up to rank with the Lord of the universe?
26:99 “Those who misled us were wicked.
26:100 “Now we have no intercessors.
(١٠٠) فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَـٰفِعِينَ
30:13 Their idols will have no power to intercede on their behalf; on the contrary, they will disown their idols.
32:4 GOD is the One who created the heavens and the earth, and everything between them in six days, then assumed all authority. You have none beside Him as Lord, nor do you have an intercessor. Would you not take heed?
39:43 Have they invented intercessors to mediate between them and GOD? Say, “What if they do not possess any power, nor understanding?”
39:44 Say, “All intercession belongs to GOD.” To Him belongs all sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.
40:18 Warn them about the imminent day, when the hearts will be terrified, and many will be remorseful. The transgressors will have no friend nor an intercessor to be obeyed.
74:48 The intercession of the intercessors will never help them.
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَـٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ
Analysis of “No Intercessors” Verses
It’s worth noting that in verses where it states that there is intercession without any caveats, it consistently pertains to a third party interceding on behalf of another on the Day of Judgment to change the outcome determined by God.
INTERCESSION WITH A CAVEAT DISCUSSION
The second set of verses regarding intercession includes a slight caveat to this statement and typically includes the statement, “ bi-idh’ni l-lahi” ( بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ), or some derivate of this statement. This statement would literally translate to “except by God’s permission.”
Dr. Rashad Khalifa often translates this expression as “in accordance with God’s will.” I believe this is because God already knows everything and has planned accordingly; therefore, whatever He permits will always be in accordance with His will.
To better understand what it means when it states “except by God’s permission” or “in accordance with God’s will,” it helps to look at the following verse that also uses this expression.
59:5 Whether you chop a tree, or leave it standing on its trunk, is in accordance with GOD’s will. He will surely humiliate the wicked.
The above example of this expression informs us that any decision someone makes is always in accordance with God’s will. Therefore, whether someone is able to do something or not, it is always with God’s permission; otherwise, it would not happen. This is also why God commands believers to say “if God willed” when they say they will do anything in the future. Because unless God wills it, then it will not happen.
18:23 You shall not say that you will do anything in the future,
18:24 without saying, “ GOD willing.” If you forget to do this, you must immediately remember your Lord and say, “May my Lord guide me to do better next time.”
So, if God permitted something to happen, it is in accordance with God’s will.
Now, God willing, let’s review the verses that use this conditional statement in the context of intercession.
EXCEPT BY GOD’S PERMISSION
The first batch of verses only includes the caveat of God’s permission.
2:255 GOD: there is no other god besides Him, the Living, the Eternal. Never a moment of unawareness or slumber overtakes Him. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who could intercede with Him, except in accordance with His will? He knows their past, and their future. No one attains any knowledge, except as He wills. His dominion encompasses the heavens and the earth, and ruling them never burdens Him. He is the Most High, the Great.
10:3 Your only Lord is GOD; the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then assumed all authority. He controls all matters. There is no intercessor, except in accordance with His will. Such is GOD your Lord. You shall worship Him. Would you not take heed?
34:23 Intercession with Him will be in vain, unless it coincides with His will. When their minds are finally settled down, and they ask, “What did your Lord say,” they will say, “The truth.” He is the Most High, the Most Great.
The literal Arabic of this verse is “except whom took from the Most Gracious a covenant.
Elsewhere in the Quran, we see that this covenant ( ʿahdan / عَهْدًا) corresponds with those who upheld God’s covenant by not following Satan and maintaining righteousness.
3:76 Indeed, those who fulfill their covenant and lead a righteous life, GOD loves the righteous.
3:77 As for those who trade away GOD’s covenant, and their obligations, for a cheap price, they receive no share in the Hereafter. GOD will not speak to them, nor look at them, on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. They have incurred a painful retribution.
The next three verses present the caveat of being approved in conjunction with intercession.
21:25 We did not send any messenger before you except with the inspiration: “There is no god except Me; you shall worship Me alone.”
21:26 Yet, they said, “The Most Gracious has begotten a son!” Glory be to Him. All (messengers) are (His) honored servants.
21:27 They never speak on their own, and they strictly follow His commands.
21:28 He knows their future and their past. They do not intercede, except whom He approved, and they are anxious from fear of it.
On the Day of Judgment, the only ones permitted or approved are those God allows to speak, and they will only be able to utter what is right.
78:38 The day will come when the Spirit and the angels will stand in a row. None will speak except those permitted by the Most Gracious, and they will utter only what is right.
This is very telling because one needs to be able to speak to intercede. Secondly, the verse also gives us a clue that anyone permitted to speak will only be able to utter what is right. This is further confirmed in the next verse to be “those who bear witness to the truth.”
43:86 None of those whom they idolize beside Him possess any power to intercede, except who bear witness to the truth, and they fully know.
Therefore, “uttering what is right” and “bearing witness to the truth” are the only kinds of speech that will be permissible on the Day of Judgment and not the ability to plead for anyone. This is the only kind of “intercession” that will be permissible, and it also aligns with verse 75:15, which states that “no excuses will be accepted” in reference to that day.
Additionally, The Quran informs us that no one possesses the power to argue with God. So, to think that someone can intercede on behalf of someone else would imply that they will be permitted to make a case, which God says is not going to happen.
78:37 Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. The Most Gracious. No one has power to argue with Him.