ʿAbd al-Salam ibn Taymiyyah, the renowned imam and author of many beneficial works; he died in 728 AH, may Allah have mercy on him.

Qist: the word qist means “portion.”

The intercession imagined by the polytheists: that is, the one they seek from others beside Allah, from their alleged peers to Him.

“And the Prophet informed”: i.e., in the hadith authentically recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs and elsewhere on the subject of intercession.

“And Abu Hurayrah said”: i.e., in the narration related by al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and al-Nasāʾī from Abu Hurayrah.

“The happiest of people”: those who will attain the greatest happiness through it.

“Sincerely from his heart”: to exclude the hypocrite who utters it only with his tongue.

“Its reality”: meaning the true nature of valid intercession, not as the polytheists fancy.

“The Praised Station”: the station for which all creatures will praise him.

The author’s purpose in citing Shaykh al-Islam’s words here is that they contain an explanation and commentary on the verses in this chapter, namely:

1- the description of the intercession that is negated and the description of the intercession that is affirmed;
2- mention of the Grand Intercession, which is the Praised Station, and what the Prophet ﷺ will do until he is granted permission to intercede;
3- that the people who will be the happiest through the intercession are the people of faith.

Benefit: the Messenger ﷺ possesses six kinds of intercession.

The first: the intercession that is exclusive to our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, namely,