774 — Abū al-Qāsim Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Azīz al-Baghawī ⦗1204⦘ narrated to us: Shaybān ibn Farrūkh narrated to us: Mubārak ibn Fadālah narrated to us: Yazīd ibn Suhayb narrated: I passed by Jābir ibn Abd Allah while he was sitting in a circle, narrating to some people. I sat with him and heard him mention people who would emerge from the Fire. At that time, I rejected this. I said, “By Allah, I am not surprised at people in general, but I am surprised at you, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace! Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—says:

“‘They desire to leave the Fire, but they will never leave it, and they will have an enduring punishment.’” [al-Māidah: 37]

His companions rebuked me, but he was the most forbearing of them. He said, “Leave the man alone.” Then he said, “What Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—said was:

“‘If those who disbelieve possessed everything on earth and as much again with it, offering it as ransom from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them, and they will have a painful punishment. They desire to leave the Fire, but they will never leave it, and they will have an enduring punishment.’” [al-Māidah: 37]

He then asked, “Do you not recite in the Quran:

“‘And during part of the night, pray with it as an additional prayer for you; perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station.’” [al-Isrā: 79]

He continued, “Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—punishes some people for their sins, and if He wills to bring them out, ⦗1205⦘ He brings them out.”

Yazīd said: After that, I never denied it again.

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said: The one who denies intercession has committed an egregious error in his interpretation, thereby departing from the Quran and Sunnah. He seized upon verses of the Quran that were revealed concerning the disbelievers, in which Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—stated that once they enter the Fire, they will never emerge from it, and applied them to those who affirm Allah’s oneness. He disregarded the reports of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—which establish that this intercession is specifically for those guilty of major sins, even though the Quran also indicates this. Through this evil assertion, he departed from the body of doctrine upheld by the people of faith and followed a path other than theirs. Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—says:

“Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We shall consign him to what he has chosen and burn him in Hell—and what an evil destination!” [al-Nisā: 115]

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: Whoever rejects the established traditions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and those of his Companions is among those who oppose and disobey the Messenger. He also disobeys Allah Most High by refusing to accept those traditions. Had this heretic understood and judged himself fairly, he would have known that Allah’s rulings and everything He has prescribed to His creation as religious duties are derived solely from the Quran and Sunnah.

Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—commanded His Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to explain to His creation what He had revealed to him of the religious duties prescribed for them. He—Exalted is His remembrance—said ⦗1206⦘:

“We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may explain to people what has been sent down to them, and perhaps they may reflect.” [al-Nahl: 44]

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—explained to his nation all the rulings that Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—had imposed upon them. He explained to them the affairs of this world and the Hereafter and everything in which they were required to believe. He did not leave them ignorant and without knowledge, but informed them about death and the grave, what the believer will encounter and what the disbeliever will encounter, the Gathering and the standing, and Paradise and the Fire—stage after stage—as the people of truth know. We shall discuss each subject in its proper place, if Allah Most High wills.

Know, O Muslims, that when the disbelievers enter the Fire, behold its painful punishment, and suffer severe humiliation, they will see among them in the Fire some people who affirmed Allah’s oneness. They will taunt them, saying, “What benefit has your Islam in this world brought you when you are here in the Fire with us?” This will only increase the sorrow and anguish of the Muslims who affirmed Allah’s oneness.

Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—will see the anguish caused by the disbelievers’ taunting and grant permission for intercession. The prophets, angels, martyrs, scholars, and believers will then intercede for those Muslims who entered the Fire. They will be brought out of it in diverse groups, just as the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—informed us, and they will enter Paradise. When the disbelievers realize that they are gone, they will wish that they too had been Muslims. They will then be certain that they have no intercessor to intercede for them and no devoted friend who can avail them anything against ⦗1207⦘ their punishment.

Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—said concerning the disbelievers, after the punishment had thoroughly seared them and they learned that intercession was for others:

“Do we have any intercessors who might intercede for us, or could we be sent back so that we might act differently from how we used to act?” [al-Arāf: 53]—to the end of the verse.

He—Glorious and Exalted is He—also said:

“Then they and the deviators will be hurled headlong into it,” [al-Shuarā: 94]

“along with all the hosts of Iblīs.” [al-Shuarā: 95]

“They will say as they quarrel therein,” [al-Shuarā: 96]

“‘By Allah, we were clearly astray” [al-Shuarā: 97]

“when we equated you with the Lord of all worlds.” [al-Shuarā: 98]

“None but the evildoers led us astray.” [al-Shuarā: 99]

“Now we have no intercessors,” [al-Shuarā: 100]

“nor any devoted friend.’” [al-Shuarā: 101]

He—Glorious and Exalted is He—also said in Sūrat al-Muddaththir, having stated that the angels said to the disbelievers:

“‘What brought you into Saqar?’” [al-Muddaththir: 42]

“They will say, ‘We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor.’” [al-Muddaththir: 43]

“‘We used to indulge in falsehood with those who indulged in it,’” [al-Muddaththir: 45]

“‘and we denied the Day of Recompense’” [al-Muddaththir: 46]

“‘until certainty came to us.’” [al-Muddaththir: 47]

“Thus, the intercession of the intercessors will not benefit them.” [al-Muddaththir: 48]

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said: These are all characteristics of the disbelievers. Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—said:

“Thus, the intercession of the intercessors will not benefit them.” [al-Muddaththir: 48]

This proves that intercession must necessarily take place and that it is for others—exclusively for those who affirm Allah’s oneness. ⦗1208⦘ Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—also said:

“Alif-Lām-Rā. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Quran.” [al-Hijr: 1]

“Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims.” [al-Hijr: 2]

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said: The disbelievers will wish they had been Muslims only when they see among them in the Fire some who affirmed Allah’s oneness. They will taunt them, saying, “What benefit has your Islam brought you when you are here in the Fire with us?” Those Muslims will grieve because of this. Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—will then command the angels, the prophets, and others among the believers to intercede for them. They will intercede, and all those in the Fire who affirmed Allah’s oneness will be brought out. When the disbelievers realize that they are gone, they will ask about them and will be told, “The intercessors interceded for them because they were Muslims.” At that point, they will wish that they too had been Muslims so that intercession might reach them.