He is the Creator of their act—as in Noah’s intercession for his son, Abraham’s intercession for his father, and the Prophet’s intercession—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—for ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl when he offered the funeral prayer for him after his death. Concerning His words, ‘Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?’ you have said that they encompass both types of permission. Yet if He meant permission pertaining to His decree, every intercession would fall within this, just as every act of disbelief and sorcery does. There would then be no distinction between what occurs by His permission and what occurs without His permission. If He meant only permission under His revealed law, the position of the Qadariyyah would follow. Yet these individuals interceded without permission under His revealed law?”

The answer is: What is ruled out in the absence of permission is complete intercession—that is, intercession that is accepted. This is like the worshipper’s words, “Allah hears whoever praises Him,” meaning that He responds to him. Likewise, Allah Most High says:

“Guidance for the God-fearing.”

“You are only a warner to those who fear it.”

“So remind with the Quran those who fear My warning.”

The same applies to similar passages. For guidance, warning, reminding, and teaching require acceptance on the learner’s part. When he learns, the intended result of teaching has been achieved. Otherwise, one says, “I taught him, but he did not learn.” Likewise, it is said:

“As for Thamūd, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance.”

The same applies to intercession. Its intended outcome is acceptance by the one to whom it is addressed: this is complete intercession. This is what cannot occur except by His permission. But if an intercessor intercedes and it is not accepted