Al Shu‘arā’

فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِينَ

وَلاَ صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ

فَلَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

100. “Now, then we have no intercessors,”
101. “Nor a single intimate friend,”
102. “Now if we only had a chance of return, we would be of the believers.”

In Hereafter, the existence of intercession is certain, but a group of misguided people, such as polytheists, infidels, and some criminals, will not enjoy it, because the condition of being interceded is having Faith and righteous deeds. There is a tradition recorded in Majma‘-ul-Bayan which indicates that the immaculate Imams (as) have made an oath that they will intercede for their true followers. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“On that Day, a believer may intercede for his family (members).” ¹¹

Again, once Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“By Allah! On the Hereafter Day, we will intercede for the (true) followers in such a way that the deviated ones will protest.” ¹²

The holy Prophet (S) said:

“In the Hereafter, the Qur’an, the believer’s family, the Prophet, and Ahl-ul-Bayt (as) will intercede.” ¹³

However, as the Qur’an announces, the disbelievers and infidels will say:

In short, then they will say neither do the deities come to intercede for them, as they imagined in the world, nor can their friends help them.

Some Traditions Upon Intercession

1- Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Verily our intercession will not reach those who take the prayer light (and do not regard it important).” ¹⁴

2- The Prophet (S) said:

“My intercession will not reach the one who takes his prayer light, and by Allah! He will not arrive to me by the fountain (of kauthar); and, by Allah! He who drinks (alcoholic) liquor is not of me (my follower) and will not arrive to me by the fountain (of kauthar).” ¹⁵

3- The Holy Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“Learn the Qur’an because that (holy) Book will intercede its followers (readers) on the Day of Hereafter.” ¹⁶

4- The holy Prophet (S) said:

“There are three groups who will intercede unto Allah, Almighty and Glorious, and their intercession will be accepted: The prophets, the scholars, and the martyrs.” ¹⁷

5- It has been narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) in the book ‘Mahasin’, who said:

“The intercessors are the Imams (as) and the veracious ones among believes.” ¹⁸

6- Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (S) who said:

“There has been appointed a (definite) prayer for every prophet to pray for his people by it (with Allah), and I have reserved my prayer as an intercession for my Ummah (nation) on the Hereafter Day.” ¹⁹

7- The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“There are four groups for whom I will intercede on the Hereafter Day: The lovers of my Ahl-ul-Bayt (progeny), those who are the friends of their friends and are the enemies of their enemies, those who provide them what they need, and those who do their best to undertake one thing of their affairs.” ²⁰

8- Mu‘awiyat-ibn-Wahab says that he asked Imam Sadiq (as) about whom this statement of Allah was which says:

The Imam (as) said:

“We (the Ahl-ul-Bayt) are those who will intercede by Allah’s leave (on Hereafter Day).” ²²

Through the next verse, the Qur’an implies that soon they will understand this fact that neither any regret is helpful there, nor Hereafter is the place of action and compensation, that is why they desire to come back to this world, and they say: “Now if we only had a chance of return, we would be of the believers.” It is true that they have got a belief in that world and on that Day, but this belief is a kind of compulsory belief. That belief is effective and constructive which is voluntary and it is in this world, a belief that becomes the source of guidance and righteous deeds.

Yet, this desire, however, does not solve any problem for them, and the Divine way of treatment does not let anyone come back to this world; and they themselves know this fact, too, and the Arabic word /lau/ (if) is its evidence.