Part 19: Belief in the Intercession (Shafā’ah) on the Day of Judgement – The Foundations of the Sunnah of Imām Ahmad Ibn Hanbal: Benefits from Shaikh An-Najmī

In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

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All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly until the establishment of the Hour.

Additional notes from Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.
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Belief in the Intercession on the Day of Judgement

The next point mentioned by Imām Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahimahullah) in Usool as-Sunnah is:

والإيمان بشفاعة النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم, وبقوم يخرجون من النار بعد ما احترقوا وصاروا فحما

“And to have faith in the Intercession of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and that some people will be brought out of the Fire after they have been burnt and reduced to charcoal.”

The ahādeeth concerning the Intercession (as-Shafāʿah) in the Hereafter are mutawātirah (numerous and manifold). Intercession on the Day of Resurrection is of seven categories: Three of which are specific to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), and four which are general to him and other than him. The three types of Intercession specific to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) are:

ONE: The Intercession for the judgement to commence on the Day of Resurrection. This is referred to as ‘Al-Maqām ul-Mahmood’ (The praiseworthy Station), which every Muslim makes duʿā for at the end of the Adhān. The Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever says after hearing the call to Prayer,

 اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْقَائِمَةِ آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ

‘O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and [Lord] of the Prayer which is about to be established – give Muhammad the right of intercession (waseelah) and virtue, and resurrect him to the praiseworthy and noble station that You have promised him, then my intercession for him will be permitted on the Day of Resurrection.” (Al-Bukhāri, no. 614)

When the people approach the other Prophets from the Ulul-ʿAzam (the Messengers of Firm Resolve), and they are Adam, Nooh, Ibrāheem, Moosā and ʿĪsā (may Allah’s peace be upon them) – they will all refuse, so the people will eventually go to the final Messenger, Muhammad (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam). The people will be naked, uncircumcised, in fear and terror, but this time their request will not be refused and the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) will say, ‘I am for that.’ Allah stated:

وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةًۭ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًۭا مَّحْمُودًۭا ٧٩

“And from [part of] the night, pray with it [recitation of the Qur’ān] as additional worship for youit is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.” (al-Isrā: 79)

The hadeeth in al-Bukhāri on the Intercession (no. 7510) states:

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْبَدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ الْعَنَزِيُّ، قَالَ اجْتَمَعْنَا نَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ فَذَهَبْنَا إِلَى أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَذَهَبْنَا مَعَنَا بِثَابِتٍ إِلَيْهِ يَسْأَلُهُ لَنَا عَنْ حَدِيثِ الشَّفَاعَةِ، فَإِذَا هُوَ فِي قَصْرِهِ فَوَافَقْنَاهُ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى، فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا، فَأَذِنَ لَنَا وَهْوَ قَاعِدٌ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَقُلْنَا لِثَابِتٍ لاَ تَسْأَلْهُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ أَوَّلَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الشَّفَاعَةِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ هَؤُلاَءِ إِخْوَانُكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ جَاءُوكَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ حَدِيثِ الشَّفَاعَةِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ مَاجَ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ فِي بَعْضٍ فَيَأْتُونَ آدَمَ فَيَقُولُونَ اشْفَعْ لَنَا إِلَى رَبِّكَ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ لَهَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَإِنَّهُ خَلِيلُ الرَّحْمَنِ‏.‏ فَيَأْتُونَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ لَهَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمُوسَى فَإِنَّهُ كَلِيمُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَيَأْتُونَ مُوسَى فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ لَهَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِعِيسَى فَإِنَّهُ رُوحُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ‏.‏ فَيَأْتُونَ عِيسَى فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ لَهَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَيَأْتُونِي فَأَقُولُ أَنَا لَهَا‏.‏ فَأَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَى رَبِّي فَيُؤْذَنُ لِي وَيُلْهِمُنِي مَحَامِدَ أَحْمَدُهُ بِهَا لاَ تَحْضُرُنِي الآنَ، فَأَحْمَدُهُ بِتِلْكَ الْمَحَامِدِ وَأَخِرُّ لَهُ سَاجِدًا فَيُقَالُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ لَكَ، وَسَلْ تُعْطَ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ‏.‏ فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي‏.‏ فَيُقَالُ انْطَلِقْ فَأَخْرِجْ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ شَعِيرَةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ‏.‏ فَأَنْطَلِقُ فَأَفْعَلُ ثُمَّ أَعُودُ فَأَحْمَدُهُ بِتِلْكَ الْمَحَامِدِ، ثُمَّ أَخِرُّ لَهُ سَاجِدًا فَيُقَالُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ لَكَ، وَسَلْ تُعْطَ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ، فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي‏.‏ فَيُقَالُ انْطَلِقْ فَأَخْرِجْ مِنْهَا مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ أَوْ خَرْدَلَةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ‏.‏ فَأَنْطَلِقُ فَأَفْعَلُ ثُمَّ أَعُودُ فَأَحْمَدُهُ بِتِلْكَ الْمَحَامِدِ، ثُمَّ أَخِرُّ لَهُ سَاجِدًا فَيُقَالُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ لَكَ، وَسَلْ تُعْطَ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ‏.‏ فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ انْطَلِقْ فَأَخْرِجْ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَدْنَى أَدْنَى أَدْنَى مِثْقَالِ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، فَأَخْرِجْهُ مِنَ النَّارِ‏.‏ فَأَنْطَلِقُ فَأَفْعَلُ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنَسٍ قُلْتُ لِبَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا لَوْ مَرَرْنَا بِالْحَسَنِ وَهْوَ مُتَوَارٍ فِي مَنْزِلِ أَبِي خَلِيفَةَ فَحَدَّثَنَا بِمَا حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لَنَا فَقُلْنَا لَهُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ جِئْنَاكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَخِيكَ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ فَلَمْ نَرَ مِثْلَ مَا حَدَّثَنَا فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ، فَقَالَ هِيهِ، فَحَدَّثْنَاهُ بِالْحَدِيثِ فَانْتَهَى إِلَى هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ فَقَالَ هِيهِ، فَقُلْنَا لَمْ يَزِدْ لَنَا عَلَى هَذَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ حَدَّثَنِي وَهْوَ جَمِيعٌ مُنْذُ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَنَسِيَ أَمْ كَرِهَ أَنْ تَتَّكِلُوا‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ فَحَدِّثْنَا، فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ خُلِقَ الإِنْسَانُ عَجُولاً مَا ذَكَرْتُهُ إِلاَّ وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ حَدَّثَنِي كَمَا حَدَّثَكُمْ بِهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ ثُمَّ أَعُودُ الرَّابِعَةَ فَأَحْمَدُهُ بِتِلْكَ، ثُمَّ أَخِرُّ لَهُ سَاجِدًا فَيُقَالُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ، وَسَلْ تُعْطَهْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ‏.‏ فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ ائْذَنْ لِي فِيمَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلاَلِي وَكِبْرِيَائِي وَعَظَمَتِي لأُخْرِجَنَّ مِنْهَا مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ‏”‏‏.‏

Anas Ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) said: “Muhammad (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) spoke to us saying, ‘On the Day of Resurrection the people will surge with each other like waves, and then they will come to Adam and say, ‘Please intercede for us with your Lord.’ He will say, ‘I am not fit for that but you’d better go to Abraham as he is the Khalil of the Beneficent.’

They will go to Ibrāheem and he will say, ‘I am not fit for that, but you’d better go to Moasā as he is the one to whom Allah spoke directly.’ So they will go to Moses and he will say, ‘I am not fit for that, but you’d better go to Jesus as he is a soul created by Allah and His Word (i.e., “Be! And it was”)’ They will go to Jesus and he will say, ‘I am not fit for that, but you’d better go to Muhammad.’

They will then come to me and I will say, ‘I am for that.’ Then I will ask for my Lord’s permission, and it will be given, and then He will inspire me to praise Him with such praises as I do not know now. So I will praise Him with those praises and I will fall down prostrate before Him.

Then it will be said [by the Lord], ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to. Ask, and you will be granted. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers! My followers!’

And then it will be said, ‘Go and take out of Hell all those who have faith in their hearts, equal to the weight of a barley grain.’ I will go and do that – and return to praise Him with the same praises, and fall down prostrate before Him.

Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers! My followers!’ It will be said, ‘Go and take out of it all those who have faith in their hearts equal to the weight of a small ant or a mustard seed.’

I will go and do that – and return to praise Him with the same praises, and fall down prostrate before Him.

Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers! My followers!’ Then He will say, ‘Go and take out all those in whose hearts there is faith even to the lightest, lightest mustard seed. Take them out of the Fire.’ I will go and do so.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) added, ‘I then return for a fourth time and praise Him similarly and prostrate before Him me the same. He will say: ‘O Muhammad, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘O Lord, allow me to intercede for whoever said, ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah.’ Then Allah will say, ‘By my Power, and my Majesty, and by My Supremacy, and by My Greatness, I will take out of Hell whoever said: ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah.’

TWO: The Intercession for the gates of Jannah to be opened for its people. The gates will not be opened for anyone except Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam).

THREE: The Prophet’s (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) Intercession for his uncle Abu Tālib bin ‘Abdul Muttalib. The one who raised him and protected him, but who refused to enter into Islām and died upon the religion of the mushrikeen. There is no other mushrik, munāfiq or kāfir who can be interceded for except this one man, Abu Tālib, which shows the station of Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) with Allah. The Intercession will be to lessen his punishment so that he will be wearing shoes of fire that will cause his brain to boil.

The remaining types of Intercession are shared between the Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the other Prophets and Messengers, the Siddiqeen (the truthful believers), the Shuhadā (martyrs) and the other righteous believers who have the right to intercede. These remaining intercessions are four in number:

FOUR: Intercession for those of the Muslims who are deserving of punishment in the fire, that they do not enter it, but rather they enter directly into Jannah.

FIVE: Intercession for those who have entered the fire due to their sins, that they are taken out and entered into Jannah.

SIX: Intercession for the people of Jannah, that their level in Jannah is raised above that which they deserve, as a bounty from Allah.

SEVEN: Intercession for the people of the Aʿrāf – those whose good deeds are equal to their sins so their good deeds prevent them from entering the hellfire, but their sins prevent them from entering into paradise. Therefore they are interceded for, so that Allah will pardon them and enter them into paradise.

All of these types of intercession are established by ahadeeth which reach the level of mutawātir (multiple narrators at every level of the chain of narration).

The Two Conditions for the Acceptance of Intercession

We need to know that there are two conditions for the acceptance of Intercession:

  1. The permission of Allah, as He (the Most High) stated in Āyatul-Kursi (Surah al-Baqarah 2:255):

    مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِه

    ‘Who is it who can intercede with Allah except with His permission?’

  2. Intercession is only carried out for those (and by those) whom Allah is pleased with, as He (the Most High) said:

    وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ

    ‘And they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased.’ (Surah al-Anbiyā 21:28).

As for the saying of Imām Ahmad Ibn Hanbal: “Some people will be brought out of the Fire after they have been burnt and reduced to charcoal” then that will be explained in the next article, inshā’ Allāh.

(End)

والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.
Copyright 2024.

This article was transcribed by Umm Maryam (may Allah reward her) from the classes of Abu Khadeejah (SalafiSounds.com). Please share it with others.


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