more grievous, or it may be less severe, depending on their circumstances. Allah, glorified be He, has not appointed any prophet or believer as an intermediary for Him in any aspect of His lordship or His exclusive right to worship, such as those acts that belong to Him alone: creating, providing sustenance, answering supplications, granting victory over enemies, fulfilling needs, and relieving distress. Rather, a servant can at most serve as a means, as when he supplicates or intercedes. Allah Most High says:

“Who is there who can intercede with Him except by His permission?”

He also says:

“They intercede only for those with whom He is pleased.”

And He says:

“How many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after Allah has given permission for whom He wills and approves.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Call upon those you claim to be gods besides Him. They have no power to remove harm from you or shift it elsewhere.’”

“Those whom they invoke themselves seek a means of drawing near to their Lord, striving to be nearest to Him. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, your Lord’s punishment is something to beware of.”

A number of the early generations said: Some people used to invoke the angels and prophets, so Allah forbade them to do so in His words:

“It is not for a human being whom Allah has given the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood to then say to people, ‘Be my worshippers rather than Allah’s.’ Rather, he would say, ‘Be devoted to your Lord through your teaching of the Scripture and your study of it.’”

“Nor would he command you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after you have become Muslims?”

Thus, He, glorified be He, made clear that taking the angels and prophets as lords is disbelief. Accordingly, people fall into three categories regarding intercession: