The Heresy of Rejecting the Intercession

The Heresy of Rejecting the Intercession: A Brief History & the Definitive Evidence that Establishes It Along with the Principled Exegesis Wherewith the Doctrine of the Intercession is Upheld

By Mln. Yaqub Abdurrahman

The Prophet’s Intercession is a doctrine that is necessary for every Muslim to believe in. It is a specific incident that will happen on the Day of Resurrection, when all souls shall rise from their graves and face judgement for what they did during their terrestrial lives.[1] Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī said:

“The Prophet is unique in comparison to the other prophets in that he has been given the Intercession for the unrepentant sinners of his community. His Intercession will include the sinners that their sins will be forgiven, the penitent that their repentance will be accepted, and the pious that their reward will be increased.”[2]

This is the unanimous position of Ahl al-Sunnah. Intercession is a tenet of faith established by textual evidence and scholarly consensus. In early Islām, there was no question regarding it; the early Muslims yearned for the Intercession. This was prior to the emergence of heretical sects who institutionally challenged it.[3]

There is a theological polemic between Ahl al-Sunnah and the Mutazilites as well as the Kharijites on the Intercession. Ibn Ḥazm mentioned that both of these sects denied that it will be granted to sinners.[4]

Historically, the largest and most extreme Kharijite sect was the Azāriqah, who take their name from their leader Abū Rāshid Nāfiʿ b. al-Azraq. During their political and military insurgency, which was geographically centered in Basra and Ahvaz, they espoused various heresies. Two of them are: (1) They declared that anyone who committed a major sin was an infidel. Thus, they considered that sinners shall receive eternal damnation. (2) They denied rulings for reason that they were not explicitly mentioned in the Qurʾān and they disregarded the ḥadīth corpus.[5]

Additionally, the Murjites were present in this milieu. And they believed that sins do not affect faith. They innovated a stance diametric to the position of the Kharijites. The Murjites maintained that the perpetrator of a major sin may not be judged in the world as only God can judge one in the Hereafter. They maintained this position irrespective of the gravity of the sin that was committed.[6] They would say that even individuals who committed blatant acts of oppression, like murder, were complete in their faith.[7]

In this context, the scholars from the generation of the followers (ar. al-tābiʿūn) upheld the belief that one who commits a major sin is still a Muslim. Such an individual believes in Islām’s tenets of faith and committing a major sin does not mean one left the religion. When one commits a major sin, they are considered corrupt (ar. fāsiq); but that does not nullify their Islām. At the helm of the circle of learning that represented Ahl al-Sunnah in the city of Basra was the eminent scholar Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.

One individual who would attend his gathering was Wāṣil b. ʿAtāʾ. Without a doubt, this was a time of confusion. And Ḥasan al-Baṣrī steered the ship of salvation through turbulent times; he was the vanguard and upheld the teachings of the Messenger. One day, Wāṣil went to Ḥasan and posed a question to him regarding one who commits a major sin:

“In these times, a sect has emerged who declares those who commit major sins to be disbelievers. And a major sin according to them places one outside of the fold. And another sect has emerged who defer [to the judgment of Allāh] those who commit major sins. They say that major sins do nothing to one’s faith just like acts of obedience done by a disbeliever. What should we believe in?”[8]

Ḥasan thought for a few moments. But before he could respond, Wāṣil continued:

“I do not consider that such an individual is a believer and I do not consider that he is a disbeliever. Rather, he has an intermediate position (ar. al-manzilah bayna al-manzilatayn). He is not a believer and he is not a disbeliever.”[9]

And immediately after articulating this unprecedented stance, he went to the other side of the mosque and began to speak to the people there. Ḥasan said: “He has turned away from us (ar. iʿtazalanā).”[10] This is generally considered to be the inception of the Mutazilite sect.

What Wāṣil said: “al-manzilah bayna al-manzilatayn,” implies that a transgressor will be given the ruling of a Muslim in this world and the ruling of a disbeliever in the Hereafter. Ibn ʿĀshūr related from Taftāzānī that, according to this assertion, the word “kufr” is not used to describe the sinners and the Sacred Law is still applied to them in this world; thus, one who commits a major sin is not dealt with like a disbeliever. However, in the Hereafter they will be eternally punished in Hell.[11]

To these heretical sects, the Intercession disproves the notion that those who commit major sins shall receive eternal damnation. The Intercession thus negates opinions that are fundamental to their sects, which are mistaken. Indeed, every Muslim will enter Paradise at some point: immediately after the Reckoning or after being punished in Hell for a time.

I am not attempting to exhaustively dilate on heresies in early Islām, but rather to show that early heretics rejected the Intercession. Moreover, the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah responded to their claims and contentions, addressing the issue while writing voluminous works in subjects like theology and in their exegeses on the Qurʾān or by penning works that address the issue directly.

The great ḥadīth scholar and historian, Ibn al-Dhahabī, authored a work under the title Ithbāt al-Shafāʿah. In this work, he collected a munificent number of narrations that establish it. The scholars judged that the narrations mentioning the Intercession are mass-communicated (ar. mutawātir).[12] And Ibn al-Dhahabī’s collection affirms this. As well, the erudite theologian and philosopher, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, authored a work under the title al-Shafāʿah al-ʿUẓmā fī Yawm al-Qiyāmah.

The very same verses that are mentioned in the article were cited by these early sects while attempting to substantiate their innovations.[13] It seems that the author(s) of the QuranicPath website maintain an opinion like the Mutazilites/Kharijites on eternal damnation.[14] Ḥadīth-rejection is also ubiquitously exhibited in many of this website’s articles. Additionally, there are instances where they seem to reject practices that are well-known in Islām.

Undoubtedly, this website’s content is replete with heresy. I shall attempt to address some misconceptions by explaining the verses they have cited according to how the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah explained them.

The gist of the scholars’ argument is as Ibn ʿĀshūr mentioned: “Verses that negate the Intercession refer to the disbelievers and not to disobedient Muslims.” [15] He says that understanding the verses this way is necessary in order to reconcile between the entire corpus of textual evidence. Thus, there is an exegetical maxim on this point; and when reviewing the tafsīr literature, one will see that what he expressed is consistently applied in the commentaries on the Qurʾān written by other authorities from Ahl al-Sunnah. We believe in all the textual evidence, the Qurʾān and the Sunnah. Isolating some texts that may insinuate a meaning while turning a blind eye to others is subjective.

Just to briefly indicate to some of the evidence that must be considered when reviewing some of the mentioned verses, there is Sūrah Sabaʾ 23, Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ 28, and Sūrat al-Najm 26. As well, there are all the Prophet’s narrations that have been related on the topic.

In brief, the evidence located in the Holy Qurʾān, the Noble Sunnah, and the unanimous understanding of Ahl al-Sunnah establish that the Prophet’s Intercession is a certain reality that we must believe in.

Regarding the first three verses mentioned in the article:[16]

2:48

وَٱتَّقُواْ يَوۡمٗا لَّا تَجۡزِي نَفۡسٌ عَن نَّفۡسٖ شَيۡ‍ٔٗا وَلَا يُقۡبَلُ مِنۡهَا شَفَٰعَةٞ وَلَا يُؤۡخَذُ مِنۡهَا عَدۡلٞ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ

Regarding this verse, we can see that Banū Isrāʾīl is addressed both before and after it. The Jews claimed that their forefathers who were prophets would intercede for them on the Day of Judgement and thus they would not be judged in the Hereafter. They used this as an excuse. This verse is addressing them regarding their false notion.

As well, Nasafī addressed the meaning of this verse and the misreading of some of the sects who rejected the Intercession. He concluded that discussion with the Prophet’s words: “I will intercede for the sinners of my community.”[17]

When he commentated on 123, he mentioned that the verse repeats in the sūrah because of the repetitious nature of Banū Isrāʾīl’s transgressions.[18] Accordingly, these verses are understood to be repudiating the Jews and their false claim.

2:254

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا بَيۡعٞ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٞ وَلَا شَفَٰعَةٞۗ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

Abū Manṣūr al-Mātūrīdī mentioned that the believers are addressed in the verse; but the description is given according to how the disbelievers will experience the Day of Judgement to sternly warn the believers.[19] Mātūrīdī  clearly states that textual evidence establishes the Intercession for the Muslims who transgress.[20]

Thus, in commentating on the verse, he cited the other relevant evidence that must be considered when reviewing and understanding its meaning. Nasafī mentioned that the negation of Intercession applies to the disbelievers, and he clearly explains that the believers will receive it.[21] Ṭabarī said something similar.[22] Other commentators establish this too.

6:51

وَأَنذِرۡ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَن يُحۡشَرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ لَيۡسَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ وَلِيّٞ وَلَا شَفِيعٞ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ

Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī mentioned that the disbelievers are intended in this verse.[23] Thus, in the exegeses on these verses, the maxim that Ibn ʿĀshūr indicated to is found to be consistent: “Verses that negate the Intercession refer to the disbelievers and not to disobedient Muslims.” [24]

In brief, the article and the QuranicPath website are heretical and seem to convey notions that are in some ways like those that were held by deviant sects like the Mutazilite and others. The stance of Ahl al-Sunnah is that the Intercession is a reality and we must believe in it. The textual evidence establishing it is abundant, reaching the level of being mass-communicated (ar. mutawātir). In his work on mass-communicated reports, Kattānī included the Intercession and related the ruling likewise from authorities such as Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, Taftāzānī and others.[25]

I would encourage one wanting more detail on this issue to refer to the treatises that Ibn al-Dhahabī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī wrote on this topic.

[1] Sharḥ al-Maqāṣid, 5:157.

[2] Ithbāt al-Shafāʿah, 22.

[3] Sharḥ Maʿālim Uṣūl al-Dīn, 638.

[4] al-Faṣl, 4:53.

[5] Maqālāt al-Islāmiyyīn, 135-36; al-Milal wa al-Niḥal, 1:49.

[6] al-Tabṣīr, 97.

[7] Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, 5:44.

[8] al-Madhāhib al-Tawḥīdiyyah, 86.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, 1:269; 1:487; al-Madhāhib al-Tawḥīdiyyah, 85.

[12] See: Kattānī’s Naẓm al-Mutanāthir, 247.

[13] QuranicPath.com, “There is no Intercession in the Hereafter According to the Qurʾān,” 2019, http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/intercession.html.

[14] See: http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/hell_forever.html.

[15] al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, 1:487.

[16] QuranicPath.com, “There is no Intercession in the Hereafter According to the Qurʾān,” 2019, http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/intercession.html.

[17] Madārik al-Tanzīl, 1:87.

[18] Ibid., 1:126.

[19] Tafsīr al-Mātūrīdī, 2:233.

[20] Ibid., 10:328.

[21] Ibid, 1:209.

[22] Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, 5:383.

[23] Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, 12:540.

[24] al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, 1:487.

[25] Naẓm al-Mutanāthir, 247.