And He, exalted is He, says:
“Fear a Day when no soul shall avail another in the least; no intercession will be accepted from it, no ransom will be taken from it, and they will not be helped.”
(Qur’an 2:48)
People hold three views regarding intercession.
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The idolaters, the Christians, and the innovators who go to extremes in venerating their shaykhs and the like treat the intercession of those they revere with Allah as though it were the same kind of intercession known among people in this world.
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The Muʿtazilites and the Khārijites deny that our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—will intercede on behalf of Muslims who committed major sins.
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Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah affirm the intercession of our Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—for the people of major sins, and also acknowledge the intercession granted to others. Yet no one will intercede until Allah grants permission and sets a limit for him, as is stated in the authentic ḥadīth of intercession: mankind will go to Adam, then to Noah, then to Abraham, then to Moses, and then to Jesus. Jesus will say, “Go to Muhammad, for he is a servant whose earlier and later sins have been forgiven.” The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said:
“They will come to me. I will go forth and, when I behold my Lord, I will fall prostrate before Him. I will praise Him with praises He inspires in me, praises I do not know now. Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad, raise your head, speak and you will be heard, ask and you will be granted, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘My Lord, my community!’ A limit will be set for me, and I will admit them into Paradise. Then I will return and prostrate again, and another limit will be set for me.”
He mentioned this three times.