Rather, a faction from among the innovators went so far as to deny that a human being can benefit from another person’s intercession or supplication, just as they denied that he could benefit from charity given on his behalf or from someone else’s fasting for him. They rejected intercession altogether, arguing from the Almighty’s words, “Before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, no friendship, and no intercession” (al-Baqarah 2:254) (1), and His words, “For the wrongdoers there will be no devoted friend and no intercessor who will be heeded” (Ghafir 40:18) (2), and other similar verses (3).

By contrast, the early generations of the ummah, its leading scholars, and those who follow them among Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah affirmed everything conveyed in the Sunnah about the Prophet’s intercession—peace and blessings be upon him—for the major sinners of his community, along with his other kinds of intercession and the intercession granted to other prophets and to the angels.

They stated that no one from the people of pure monotheism will abide eternally in the Fire. They acknowledged, in accordance with the Sunnah, that a person benefits from another’s supplication and intercession, from charity offered on his behalf, and—even according to the sounder of the two scholarly opinions—from fasting performed for him, for this is established by explicit, authentic reports of the Sunnah (4)(5), together with everything analogous to fasting.

They further maintained that an intercessor is sought from Allah and petitioned of Him alone, and that no intercession is effective with Him except by His leave. The Exalted says, “Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?” (al-Baqarah 2:255) (6)(7), and He says, “They do not intercede except for those with whom He is pleased” (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:28) (8).