Thus all authority belongs to Him alone; He has no partner in any respect. For this reason, He—glorified be He—negates such intercession in the Verse of the Throne, which affirms His oneness. He says:

“Allah—there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?”

On the Day of Resurrection, when the foremost of intercessors—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—prostrates himself and praises his Lord, he is told:

“‘Raise your head; speak and you will be heard; ask and you will be granted what you ask; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.’ A limit is then set for him, and he admits them to Paradise.”

All authority belongs to Allah, as He says:

“Say, ‘Indeed, all authority belongs to Allah.’”

He also says to His Messenger:

“You have no share in the decision.”

And He says:

“Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command.”

Since no one can intercede with Allah except by His permission, He grants permission to whomever He wills; nevertheless, the intercessor is honoured by having his intercession accepted. As the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said in an authentic hadith:

“Intercede and you will be rewarded, and Allah decrees through the words of His Prophet whatever He wills.”

When someone supplicates to Him and an intercessor intercedes with Him, and He hears the supplication and accepts the intercession, this does not exert an influence upon Him as one created being influences another. For He—glorified be He—is the One who causes the one to supplicate and the other to intercede. He is the Creator of His servants’ deeds. He is the One who enables His servant to repent and then accepts his repentance; who enables him to perform a deed and then rewards him for it; and who enables him to supplicate and then answers him. Thus nothing exerts any influence upon Him