anything and do not reason?’”
“Say, ‘To Allah belongs all intercession. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.’”
Thus, He censures those who take intercessors apart from Allah and declares that all intercession belongs to Allah. It is therefore clear that intercession is denied to anyone other than Him, since no one intercedes except by His permission, and such intercession belongs to Him.
He also says:
“They worship apart from Allah what neither harms nor benefits them, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say, ‘Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?’ Glory be to Him! Exalted is He above what they associate with Him.”
This is further clarified by His denial of friendship on that Day in His statement:
“Before there comes a Day in which there will be no trade, no friendship, and no intercession. And the disbelievers are the wrongdoers.”
It is understood that He denies only friendship as it is ordinarily known, together with its customary benefit—as one friend benefits another in this world. As He says:
“And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is? Then, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is? A Day when no soul will have power to do anything for another, and all command that Day will belong to Allah.”
And He says:
“To warn of the Day of Meeting—the Day when they will stand exposed, with nothing about them hidden from Allah. To whom belongs sovereignty today? To Allah, the One, the All-Prevailing.”
He does not deny that there will be friendship in the Hereafter that brings benefit by His permission, for He says:
“Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to one another, except the God-fearing. O My servants, no fear will there be concerning you today, nor will you grieve.”
And the subsequent verses.
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said that Allah, the Exalted, says:
“My love is assured for those who love one another for My sake.”
And Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Where are those who love one another for the sake of My majesty? Today I shall shade them in My shade, on a Day when there is no shade but My shade.”
It is therefore clear that the entire matter comes back to truly affirming Allah’s oneness: no one brings benefit or harm except by Allah’s permission; no one other than Allah may be worshipped, nor may anyone’s help be sought apart from Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, it will become apparent to all creation that the entire matter belongs to Allah, and every claimant will disassociate himself from