Millions of Christians believe that Jesus will intercede for them at God on a Day of the Judgment to forgive and admit them into Paradise while millions of Muslims believe that Muhammad will intercede for them to do the same on that day either. Thus, these people idolize Jesus and Muhammad, even though God has informed us through the Quran that they do not possess any power to intercede (43:86). In fact, intercession is one of Satan’s most effective tricks to dupe millions of people into idol worship as the Quran proclaims that “All intercession belongs to God” (39:44), and there will be “no intercession on a day of the Judgment” (2:254). We also see a few verses in the Quran that inform us that there would be intercession which will not be accepted unless it coincides with God’s will or it would be useless (2:255, 20:109, 34:25, 43:86).
God’s Control over all Things
The Quran strongly states that nothing is coincidental or superstitious about our lives. This understanding is directly based on many verses in the Quran which describe that God is in total control of all creatures in this Universe as He is not tired or overburdened to take care of His kingdom. Thus, anything that happens to anyone of us is ultimately controlled by God Almighty. The following are a few of such verses which depict God’s control over all things:
[2:255] God: there is no god except He, the Living, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep can overtake Him. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. Is there anyone who can intercede with Him, except of His permission? He knows what is of their past and what is of their future, and they cannot encompass with anything of His knowledge except of what He has willed. His Throne extends to the heavens and the earth, and it does not tire Him for their looking after, and He is the High, the Great.
[3:109] And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and all matters will be returned to God.
[6:59] And with Him are keys of the unseen; none knows them except He. He knows what is in the land and the sea. And not of a leaf falls except He knows it, nor a seed is in darknesses of the earth, nor is moist or dry, except being in a clear record.
[10:61] And you do not be into a situation, nor do you recite of it from Quran, nor do you do any deed, except we have done to witness over you when you engage in it. And not of an atom’s weight escapes from your Lord is in the earth nor in the heavens, nor smaller than that, nor larger except is in record of a clear.
[35:11] And God has created you from dust, then from a tiny drop, then He has made you pairs. And no female conceives nor does give birth except of His knowledge. No person’s life is extended, nor is shortened from his life except as in a record. Indeed, that is easy for God.
[41:47] To Him is referred knowledge of the Hour. And no fruits emerge from their sheaths, nor does any female get pregnant or give birth except of His knowledge. And a day He will call them: “Where are My partners?” They have said: “We have proclaimed to You – there is no witness among us.”
Since God is in total control, it could only mean: firstly, our lives are not coincidental. Words like chance and luck are void and meaningless. Secondly, nobody other than God can give us joy or unhappiness, therefore there is no reason to be superstitious. The following verse also gives meaning to our lives:
[42:30] And whatever has befallen you from misfortune is of what your hands have earned while He pardons from many.
Note: Some people may object to this verse. They might say if God is Most Gracious and Merciful, and He is also in total control, why then does He give unhappiness to some. Obviously these people are not aware of God’s system.
God indeed, is Most Gracious and Merciful, because He created for us all the nice things which surround us, and provided us with shelter and provisions. However, we are indeed responsible for our own day to day lives.
Idol worship
The concept of idol worship by the majority is someone who is praying to a statue. While this is true just a tip of the iceberg but idolatry covers a very wide area. The Quran informs us of different idols. One of the most subtle and common idols today is the saints and prophets. We have heard about Jesus being idol worshipped by the Christians, but have we considered the fact that today’s Muslims are idolizing Prophet Muhammad? Let us first refer to the verse where God explains that His servants cannot be set up as idols:
[18:102] Do those who disbelieve think that they can get away with setting up My servants as gods beside Me? We have prepared for the disbelievers Hell as an eternal abode.
Before we can prove the fact that idolizing of Muhammad is common today, let us find out what the prophet would think of us idolizing him:
[3:79-80] It has not been for a human that God gives him the scripture and the wisdom and the prophethood, then he says to the people, “You shall be worshipers of me other than God, except you shall be worshipers of Lord because of that you have been teaching the scripture and because of that you have been studying (it).” Nor can he order you that you take the angels and the prophets as lords. Can he order you in the disbelief after when you have been submitters?
Note: It is quite clear from the above verses that Prophet Muhammad would never ask us to idolize him, and the people who do this are disbelievers according to the verses mentioned above.
If we are honest, we should ask ourselves whether we are idolizing the prophet or not. If we think that the prophet can bring us closer to God, or he can benefit or harm us, then according to the following verse we are idolizing him:
[39:3] No doubt, to God belongs the religion is the perfect one, and those who have taken protectors other than Him: “We do not worship them except that they may bring us near to God’s nearness.” Indeed, God will judge between themselves in what they dispute in it. Indeed, God does not guide whoever – he is a disbelieving liar. .
God also condemns their action who thinks that the prophet brings them closer to Him and calls the people who do this are disbelievers. God Almighty does not need the help of Jesus, Muhammad or anybody to approach Him as He clearly says in the Quran that He is always near believers, guides them and provides them with perfect security:
[2:186] And when has asked you My servants about Me, then indeed, I am near. I respond a call of the caller when he shall call Me. So they should respond to Me and should believe in Me that they may guide.
[6:82] Those who have believed, and they do not mix their belief with wrong; those for them is the security, and they are guided ones.
Intercession
The concept of intercession is utterly illogical. Those who believe in Muhammad’s intercession claim that he will ask God to forgive them and admit them into Paradise. They imagine Muhammad on the Day of Judgment choosing the candidates for his intercession. If you ask those who believe in intercession: “How will Muhammad recognize those who deserve his intercession?” they tell you, “God will tell him!” According to this concept, a person will go to Muhammad and request his intercession. Muhammad will then ask God whether this person deserves his intercession or not. God will inform Muhammad that the person deserves to go to Paradise. Muhammad will then turn around and tell God that the person deserves to go to Paradise! The blasphemy is obvious; those who believe in intercession make God a secretary of their idol Muhammad. God be glorified. As such, intercession is not acceptable as it is blasphemous and does not make any sense as we all will appear before God on a Day of the Resurrection as individuals (19:95) and all decision on a Day of the Judgment will belong to God (82:19). Now let us learn more from the Quran what God has taught us about the intercession to eliminate any doubt from our hearts.
All intercession on a Day of the Judgment belongs to God. There will be no trade, no nepotism and no intercession on that day. Moreover, no ransom can be paid nor any other help from any other soul will be acceptable to Him:
[39:44] Say, “To God belongs all the intercession (al-shafaa`atu). To Him belongs dominion of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned.”
[2:254] O you who have believed, you shall spend from what we have provided you before that a day comes – there is no trade in it, nor is there any friendship, nor is there any intercession (shafaa`atun). And the disbelievers – they are the wrongdoers.
[2:48] And you shall fear a day when no soul will avail anything from another soul, nor will there be accepted any intercession (shafaa`atun) from it, nor will there be taken any compensation from it, nor will they be helped.
No prophets will intercede on behalf of anyone on a Day of the Judgment (21:28 – The Prophets), even Abraham could not intercede on behalf of his own father (9:113-114), Noah could not intercede on behalf of his son (11:45-46) and Muhammad could not intercede on behalf of his uncle (111:1-3) or relatives (9:80):
[21:28] He knows their future and their past. They do not intercede, except for those already accepted by Him, and they are worried about their own necks.
[9:113-114] “Neither the prophet, nor those who believe shall ask forgiveness for the idol worshipers, even if they were their nearest of kin, once they realize that they are destined for Hell. The only reason Abraham asked forgiveness for his father was that he had promised him to do so. But as soon as he realized that he was an enemy of God, he disowned him. Abraham was extremely kind, clement.
[11:45-46] “Noah implored his Lord: “My Lord, my son is a member of my family, and Your promise is the truth. You are the wisest of the wise.” He said, “O Noah, he is not of your family. It is unrighteous to ask Me for something you do not know. I enlighten you, lest you be like the ignorant.”
[111:1-3] “Condemned are the works of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned. His money and whatever he has accomplished will never help him. He has incurred the blazing Hell.”
[9:80] “Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them, even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times God will not forgive them. This is because they disbelieve in God and His messenger. God does not guide the wicked people.”
If Prophet Muhammad could not intercede on behalf of his uncle or relatives, what makes those who idolize him against his will and believe that Muhammad will lead them to heaven? On the contrary, Muhammad will turn down most of his followers on the Day of Resurrection for idolizing him against his will:
[41:6] Say, “I am no more than a human being like you, who has been inspired that your god is one god. You shall be devoted to Him, and ask His forgiveness. Woe to the idol worshipers.”
Muhammad himself did not know what would happen to him on the Day of Recompense. So how would he know what will happen to his so-called followers?
[46:9] Say, “I am not different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a just warner.”
The Quran also teaches us that Muhammad will not intercede rather he will complain to God on the Day of Judgment that my people deserted the Quran:
[25:30] The messenger said, “My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.”
Although it is clear from the Quran that there is no intercession on the Day of Judgment as believed by a vast majority of Muslims but there is also indication in a few verses of the Quran that there would be intercession which should not be interpreted to be the intercession of the prophet. However, the following are a few of such verses which state such intercession:
[2:123] And you shall fear a day no soul will help another soul in anything, and no compensation will be accepted from it, and no intercession will benefit it, and they will not be helped.
[2:255] God: there is no other god besides Him, the Living, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep can overtake Him. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. Is there anyone who can intercede with Him, except of His permission (man dhaa alladhee yashfa`u `indahu illaa bi-idhnihi)? He knows what is of their past and what is of their future, and they cannot encompass with anything of His knowledge except of what He had willed. His Throne extends to the heavens and the earth, and it does not tire Him for their looking after, and He is the Most High, the Great.
[20:109] That day, the intercession will not benefit except for whom the Most Gracious has given permission for him and He has accepted a word for him.
[34:23] Nor will benefit the intercession with Him, except for whom He has permitted for him. Until when fear has been removed from their hearts, they have said: “What is that, your Lord has said?” They have said: “The truth!” And He is the Most High, the Great.
[43:86] And those whom they call on other than Him do not have power of the intercession; except who has testified with the truth, and they know.
Note: The above verses inform us that everyone in Paradise will intercede on behalf of his or her loved ones: for example, “Please God, admit my mother into Paradise.” This intercession will work if the person’s mother deserves to go to Paradise. Thus, intercession, though it would take place in this manner, is utterly useless. Such intercession should neither be a contradiction nor an ambiguity as God has confirmed us that there is no contradiction or ambiguity in His book as mentioned in the verses 4:82 & 39:28 respectively.
Conclusion
We all will stand before God on a Day of the Judgment as individuals (19:95), and all judgment and intercession will belong with Him on that day. Thus, the idolization of Muhammad in various ways and manner including his power of intercession on that day are Satanic tricks falling the traditional Muslims in the trap of idol worship despite the clear warning given us in the Quran that the majority of believers in God do not do so without committing idol worship (12:106). Muhammad will not intercede rather he will complain to God on a Day of the Judgment that my people deserted the Quran (25:30). Since God Almighty does not need help of Jesus, Muhammad or anybody else in any matter as He is in full control of everything (2:255), and He condemns those who think that they can be getting closer to Him through Muhammad (2:186 & 6:82), then it is better for us to stop thinking or doing this and devote our worship to God alone to be successful in the Hereafter.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (3/27/2015)