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What is Shafaa'at?
The root of the word is sheen-fa-ain,
which has the following meanings:
- to make something to be one of a
pair or couple
- to join one with another, so
as to become one of the pair, to aid him
The
infinitive noun “shaf’un” means:
“one
of a pair or couple”, or
“one with which another is
made to be a pair or couple”, or
“an even number, a
number that can be divided into two equal numbers”, or
“one
with which an odd number is made to be an even number”,
or
“the adjoining of a thing to its like”.
The word “shaf’un”
is the contrary of the word “wit’run”, the latter
meaning “single, sole, or lone”, or “an odd number”
[see Sura Al-Fajr, 89:3].
وَالشَّفْعِ
وَالْوَتْرِ
The
infinitive noun "shafaa'at" or “shafaa’atun”
شَفَاعَةٌ signifies:
“joining
of one to another as an aider to him or a petitioner for him”,
or
“joining of one to another as a standby support”,
or
“joining of one with another so as to stand up for him",
or
"joining of one with another so as
to speak or act in support of him”
"standing up for someone"
"standing with someone so as to speak
or act in support of him".
Allah says
in the Quran,
مَنْ
يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً
يَكُنْ لَهُ نَصِيبٌ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ
يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ كِفْلٌ
مِنْهَا
“Whoever joins himself (to another) in a
good partnership shall have a share of it, and whoever
joins
himself (to another) in an evil partnership shall be
accountable for his part in it…” [Sura An-Nisa, 4:85].
When there will be no Shafaa'at!
Addressing
the Believers, Allah says in the Quran,
يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ
أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلا خُلَّةٌ وَلا
شَفَاعَةٌ
O You
who believe! Spend [in Our way] out of what We have granted
you as sustenance before there come a Day when there will be
no bargaining, no friendship, and no standing up (of
someone) for (someone) (in order to speak or act in support)... [Sura Al-Baqara, 2:254]
When no Shafaa'at will be
accepted!
Addressing
the Children of Israel, Allah says in the Quran,
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا
لا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلا
يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا
عَدْلٌ وَلا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
And be
on your guard against a day when one soul shall not avail
another in the least, neither shall standing up (of someone)
for it be accepted, nor shall any compensation be taken from
it, nor shall they be helped. [Sura Al-Baqara, 2:48]
When no Shafaa'at will benefit!
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا
لا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا
عَدْلٌ وَلا
تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
And be
on your guard against a day when one soul shall not avail
another in the least, neither shall any compensation be
accepted from it, nor shall standing up (of someone) for it
benefit it, nor shall they be helped. [Sura Al-Baqara,
2:123]
Why Warning of No Shafaa'at?
وَأَنْذِرْ بِهِ
الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْ يُحْشَرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ لَيْسَ
لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلا
شَفِيعٌ
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
And warn
hereby those who fear that they shall be gathered unto their
Sustainer - There is no guardian for them besides Him
nor
anyone to stand up for them, so that they may guard
(themselves against the harmful consequences of not living
according to His Guidance). [Sura Al-Anaam, 6:51]
Those for whom there will be no
Sha'fee شَفِيعٌ
مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ
مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلا شَفِيعٍ
يُطَاعُ
Az-Zaalimeen
shall not have any compassionate friend nor any
sha'fee who should be given
heed to. [Al-Ghafir, 40:18]
The erring ones who will go to Hell will
say that
فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ
شَافِعِينَ
so, there is none who can stand up for
us. [Sura Ash-Suara, 26:100 (see also the preceding
verses of this Sura)]
Those for whom shafaa'at will be of no
benefit
وَلا تَنْفَعُ
الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ إِلا
لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
No Ash-Shafaa'at
can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has
granted permission (according to His Law) [Sura Saba,
34:23]
His Law is elaborated in the verses given
below:
When people of Hellfire will be asked, "what
led you into Hell fire?", they will say,
لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ
الْمُصَلِّينَ
وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ
الْمِسْكِينَ
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ
مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ
بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
حَتَّى أَتَانَا
الْيَقِينُ
فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ
الشَّافِعِينَ
"We were not of the Musalleen. And we
did not provide means of sustenance to the indigent (i.e.
those who were unable to earn, those who had lost their
jobs, those whose businesses had stalled, and those whose
hard-earned income was insufficient to meet their basic
needs; and we were amongst those who talked vainly (and did
nothing practically); and we used to belie the Day of
Judgment, till the inevitable can upon us;
then
no standing up for them, of anyone who would stand up for
them, will benefit them.” [74:43-48]
Those for whom there may be
Shafaa'at
يَوْمَئِذٍ لا
تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ إِلا مَنْ أَذِنَ
لَهُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوْلا
On that Day shall no ash-shafaa'at
avail except for those for whom
permission has been granted by the Most Gracious and whose
word is acceptable to Him. [Sura Ta-Ha, 20:109]
وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ
الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ
لا يَسْبِقُونَهُ
بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ
أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلا
لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى وَهُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ
And some say, "The Most Gracious has
taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory!
Nay, [those whom they regard as God's "offspring" are
but His] honoured servants.
They do not precede Him in speech and
(only) according to His commandment do they act.
He knows all that lies open before
them and all that is hidden from them. They shall not stand
up for anyone except those whom He has
graced with His goodly acceptance [i.e. those whose actions
are in conformity with the Divine Laws], they
themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. [Sura Al-Anbiya,
21:26:28]
وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ
فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلا مِنْ
بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ
يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى
How many forces of nature are there in
the heavens whose shafaa'at will avail nothing except
after Allah has given leave for whom
He pleases (i.e. His Law of Causation necessitates) and He
approves of. [Sura An-Najm, 53:26]
Who shall have the power of Shafaa'at?
لِلَّهِ الشَّفَاعَةُ
جَمِيعًا
All Shafaa'at
belongs to Allah altogether [Sura Az-Zumar, 39:44]
مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ
دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلا شَفِيعٍ
You have none besides Him as a
guardian nor any sha'fee [Sura
As-Sajda, 32:4]
لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ
دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلا شَفِيعٌ
it (i.e. any soul) shall not have
besides Allah any guardian nor an
sha'fee [Sura Al-Anaam, 6:70]
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي
يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلا
بِإِذْنِهِ
Who is there who can
stand up for someone in His
Presence unless by His permission (or it be in accordance with
His Laws) [2:255]
مَا مِنْ شَفِيعٍ
إِلا مِنْ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ
there is none who can stand up for
someone except after His permission [10:3]
لا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلا
مَنِ اتَّخَذَ
عِنْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ عَهْدًا
None shall
have the power of standing up for someone, but
such a one as has
received promise from the Most Gracious
[19:87]
وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ
الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ
عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ
لا يَسْبِقُونَهُ
بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ
أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلا
لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى وَهُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ
And some say, "The Most Gracious has
taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory!
Nay, [those whom they regard as God's "offspring" are
but His] honoured servants.
They do not precede Him in speech and
(only) according to His commandment do they act.
He knows all that lies open before
them and all that is hidden from them. They shall not stand
up for anyone except those whom He has graced with His
goodly acceptance [i.e. those whose actions are in
conformity with the Divine Laws], they themselves stand in
reverent awe of Him. [Sura Al-Anbiya, 21:26:28]
وَكَمْ مِنْ
مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لا
تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ
اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى
How many forces of
nature are there in the heavens whose shafaa'at
will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for
whom He pleases (i.e. His Law of Causation necessitates) and
He approves of. [Sura An-Najm, 53:26]
وَلا يَمْلِكُ
الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلا مَنْ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ
وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
None of
those whom they invoke instead of Him (Allah) possess any
power of standing up for (them) except
he who testifies equitably, with justice, rightness and
truth, and they know. [Sura Az-Zukhruf,
43:86]
What will be the nature of Ash-shafaa'at?
وَلا يَمْلِكُ
الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلا مَنْ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ
وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
None of
those whom they invoke instead of Him (Allah) possess any
power of standing up for (them) except
he who testifies equitably, with justice, rightness and
truth, and they know. [Sura Az-Zukhruf,
43:86]
According to the above verse, even if
anyone will be allowed by Allah to stand up with someone (to
act as a sha'fee), he will do nothing but
bear a
witness with truth. Allah says in the Quran that on the day
whereof warning is given, every soul will come with a
witness [50:21]
Is Muhammad (p.b.u.h) a Sha'fee
شَفِيعٌ?
It must be pointed out here that nowhere
in the Quran, Allah says explicitly that Muhammad (p.b.u.h)
will be shaaf'e or sha'fee
شَفِيعٌ.
In fact his attribute as shaaf'e or sha'fee
is nowhere mentioned in the Quran. However, Allah has
mentioned one of Muhammad's (p.b.u.h) attributes as
shaheed [please
see 2:143, 16:89, 22:78, ] & shahid
[33:45, 48:8, 73:15], which is also one of the attributes of
Allah [please see 3:98, 4:33, 10:46, 22:17, 33:55, 34:47,
41:53, 58:6, 85:9].
As for those who abandon the Quran, this
is what the Messenger of Allah will say on the day of
Judgment,
وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ
يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ
مَهْجُورًا
And the Rasool will say, "O my Rabb,
this is the very nation of mine which abandoned the Quran
(and had put the Quran into the shackles of self conceived
ideas, whereby it could not move even a few steps freely.)"
[Sura Al-Furqan, 25:30]
21-10-2007
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