detached from the body, whereupon that spirit, they claim, overflows onto the petitioner, having itself received an overflow of command from the Lord. They liken the matter to sunlight striking a mirror, whose reflected rays then fall on something else. Ibn Sīnā, al-Ghazālī in Al-Maẓnūn bihi ʿalā ghayri ahlihi, and others who follow their corrupt premise have voiced this idea. Their premise is that Allah does not hear His servants’ speech, does not know what is in their hearts, cannot alter anything in the universe, and possesses no will by which He acts as He wishes. On the basis of that premise they constructed this theory of intercession.

This notion is even viler than the intercession affirmed by the pagan Arabs, the Christians, and the innovators among the Muslims and the like—people who still say that Allah is an active, willing agent. Those groups at least posit an intercessor who petitions Allah so that He grants the need, likening their intercessor to someone who pleads before earthly kings.

Allah, exalted is He, invalidated such a claim and declared disbelievers those who maintain this kind of intercession. He said:

“They worship, instead of Allah, that which can neither harm nor benefit them, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say: ‘Are you informing Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?’”
(Qur’an 10:18)

He also said:

“And warn by this [Qur’an] those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord; apart from Him they will have no protector and no intercessor—so that they may become mindful.”
(Qur’an 6:51)

And He said:

“Allah is the One who created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them in six days, then He rose over the Throne. You have no protector or intercessor besides Him; will you not then take heed?”
(Qur’an 32:4)