Majmu Fatawa - Salih Al-Fawzan - (1/24)

Majmu FatawaSalih Al-Fawzan

And how many an angel there is in the heavens whose intercession will be of no benefit whatsoever—except after Allah has granted permission to whom He wills and with whom He is pleased (An-Najm 26). Intercession, therefore, is owned exclusively by Allah; He bestows it on whomever He wills among His messengers, prophets, and the righteous servants who will intercede only for those believers with whom He is pleased.

Accordingly, intercession occurs only after Allah has given leave, and only for the one whose creed and deeds Allah approves—namely, a person of faith. The prophets, the angels, and the righteous possess no guaranteed right to intercede, let alone this impostor who says, “Pledge yourselves to me so that I may be your intercessor and patron in this world and the Hereafter.” Allah alone is the Intercessor and the Patron, as He, the Exalted, says: “They have no patron or intercessor besides Him—perhaps they will be mindful” (al-Anʿām 51), and He also says: “Then they will be returned to Allah, their true Master” (al-Anʿām 62).

In the Hereafter no soul will have the power to benefit another in the least; on that Day all authority belongs to Allah. No one will possess any claim to intercession or guardianship apart from Him. Concerning the prophets Allah, Exalted be He, says: “It is not for a human being to whom Allah has given the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood to then say to the people, ‘Be servants to me instead of Allah.’ Rather, he would say, ‘Be devoted scholars because of what you have taught of the Book and because of what you have studied.’ Nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he command you to disbelief after you have submitted?” (Āl ʿImrān 79–80).

Thus the prophets, the angels, and the righteous are all servants who stand in need of Allah, as He, Exalted is He, says: “Those whom they invoke seek a means of approach to their Lord—whichever of them is closest—and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever to be feared” (al-Isrāʾ 57). The awliyāʾ (those near to Allah) have no entitlement to intercession, nor any right to oversee Allah’s servants in the Hereafter; that sovereignty belongs solely to Allah. Likewise, walāyah (divine friendship) is not confined to any particular individual, for every believer is a wali of Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

﴿وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى﴾ [النجم: ٢٦] ، والشفاعة ملك لله ﷾ وحده، يأذن بها لمن شاء من رسله وأنبيائه والصالحين من عباده، يشفع فيمن رضي عنه من المؤمنين. فلا تكون إلا بعد إذن الله، ولا تكون إلا إذا رضي الله عن المشفوع له قوله وعمله، بأن يكون من أهل الإيمان، فالنبيون والملائكة والصالحون ليس لهم استحقاق في الشفاعة حتى يقول هذا الدعي عاهدوني على أن أكون لكم شفيعًا ووليًا في الدنيا والآخرة، فإن الله هو الشفيع وحده وهو الولي وحده، كما قال تعالى: ﴿لَيْسَ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ﴾ [الأنعام: ٥١] ، وكما قال تعالى: ﴿ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ﴾ [الأنعام: ٦٢] ، ففي الآخرة لا تملك نفس لنفس شيئًا، والأمر يومئذ لله، ليس لأحد استحقاق في الشفاعة ولا في الولاية من دون الله ﷾، فالله تعالى يقول في حق النبيين: ﴿مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِي مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا الْمَلَائِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ أَرْبَابًا أَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٧٩، ٨٠] . فالنبيون والملائكة والصالحون كلهم عبيد لله محتاجون إليه، كما قال تعالى: ﴿أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا﴾ [الإسراء: ٥٧] ، فالأولياء ليس لهم استحقاق في الشفاعة، وليس لهم حق بأن يتولوا عباد الله في الآخرة، وإنما هذا ملك لله ﷾، والولاية أيضًا لا تختص بأحد دون أحد، فكل المؤمنين أولياء لله ﷾، قال تعالى: