because of the eagerness for hadith I have seen in you. The one most blessed by my intercession on the Day of Resurrection is whoever says, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ sincerely from his heart.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī. Thus, he identified those most perfect in sincerity as those most blessed by his intercession.
He also said in an authentic hadith:
“When you hear the caller to prayer, repeat what he says, then invoke blessings upon me, for whoever invokes blessings upon me once, Allah will bless him tenfold in return. Then ask Allah to grant me al-wasīlah, for it is a rank in Paradise befitting only one of Allah’s servants, and I hope to be that servant. Whoever asks Allah to grant me al-wasīlah will be entitled to my intercession on the Day of Resurrection.”
Recompense thus corresponds to the deed. He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained that whoever invokes blessings upon him once, Allah will bless him tenfold in return, and whoever asks Allah to grant him al-wasīlah will be entitled to his intercession on the Day of Resurrection.
He did not say that such a person would be the one most blessed by his intercession. Rather, he said:
“The one most blessed by my intercession on the Day of Resurrection is whoever says, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ sincerely from his heart.”
It is therefore clear that what a servant gains through monotheism and sincerity, including the Messenger’s intercession and other benefits, cannot be gained through other deeds, even righteous ones such as asking Allah to grant the Messenger al-wasīlah. What, then, of deeds that he did not command, but rather forbade? Through such deeds a person gains no good, either in this world or in the Hereafter—as with the Christians’ excessive exaltation of the Messiah, peace be upon him, which harms them and does not benefit them.
Similar to this is his saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported in the two Sahīh collections:
“Every prophet has a supplication that is answered, and I have reserved my supplication as intercession for my community on the Day of Resurrection. Allah willing, it will reach whoever dies without associating