Will The Blessed Awliya Also Make Shafa’at [Intercession]?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

  What do the blessed ‘Ulama [Islamic scholars] and Muftis [Islamic jurists] state regarding the following matter: Will the Awliya of Allah also intercede on the Day of Judgement? I have heard that only the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will intercede.(Questioner: Owais Raza, Madina-tul-Awliya, Multan)

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   On the Day of Judgement, blessed Awliya رَحِمَهُمُ اللّٰەُ, ‘Ulama, Huffaz  and Hujjaj  will all intercede. In fact, every individual who has been blessed with a religious position and status will intercede for his family members and relatives. At this place, A’la Hadrat, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه has stated a beautiful point that the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will make Shafa’at [intercession] in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and all other intercessors will intercede for their family members and relatives in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. In any case, they will also certainly intercede, as making intercession in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is also Shafa’at [intercession]; it is not something else.

It is stated in Al-Mu’taqad-ul-Muntaqad [المعتقد المنتقد]:

و یجب الایمان بانە یشفع غیرہ ایضا من الانبیاء و الملائکة و العلماء

و الشھداء و الصٰلحین و کثیر من المومنین وغیرھم من القرآن و الصیام و الکعبة وغیرھا مما ورد فی السنة

  And it is Wajib [compulsory] to have Iman [faith] in the fact that besides the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, other Ambiya, angels, ‘Ulama, Shuhada [martyrs], pious people and a large number of Mu’mineen, and besides them, the Holy Quran, Sawm [fast], Ka’bah, etc., all those regarding whose intercession, the information has been given in Ahadees will also intercede.(Al-Mu’taqad-ul-Muntaqad, pp. 129)

  Mentioning the condition of the Day of Judgement, Sadr-ush-Shari’ah, Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه has stated: Then (i.e. when the door of Shafa’at will open) all the Ambiya will make intercession for their Ummah, and the blessed Awliya, Shuhada, ‘Ulama, Huffaz, Hujjaj, in fact every individual who has been blessed with a religious position and status will make intercession for the people associated with him. Na-Baaligh [A child who has not yet reached puberty]children who have died will intercede for their parents. Moreover, some such people will also come to ‘Ulama who will humbly say, ‘We had filled water for you to make Wudu at such and such a time’ ‘Ulama will make intercession even for them.(Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 139-141 summarized)

  Except for the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the entire Creation, even the blessed Ambiya عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام will present their intercession in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, as  the authority of their intercessions is the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said:

‘اذا کان یوم القیٰمة کنت امام النبیین وخطیبھم و صاحب شفاعتھم غیر فخر’ Translation: When it will be the Day of Judgement, I will be the Imam and Khateeb of Ambiya and I am the authority of their intercession. I am not saying it as pride. (Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 5, pp. 353, Hadees 3633)

  Mentioning the beautiful meaning of this blessed Hadees, A’la Hadrat,  Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه has stated:

و المعنی الآخر الالطف الاشرف ان لاشفاعة لاحد بلاواسطة عند ذی العرش جل جلالہ الا للقرآن العظیم و لھذا الحبیب المرتجی الکریم صلی اللّٰہ تعالی علیہ وسلم، واما سائر الشفعاء من الملائکة و الانبیاء و الاولیاء و العلماء و الحفاظ و الشھداء و الحجاج و الصلحاء ،فعند رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم فینھون الیہ و یشفعون لدیہ وھو صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم یشفع لمن ذکروہ ولمن لم یذکروا عند ربہ عزوجل وقد تاکد عندنا ھذا المعنی باحادیث۔ وللّہ ٰالحمد

  Translation: The second meaning of this blessed Hadees which is very beautiful and  blessedis that only the Holy Quran and the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم have the right of direct Shafa’at in the Divine court, and we have hopes from him; none except them has this right. The rest of the intercessors, i.e. the intercession of angels, Ambiya, Awliya, ‘Ulama, Huffaz, Shuhada, Hujjaj, and Saliheen [pious people] will be in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; so they will convey the request in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and bring intercession; and in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will make intercession for those mentioned, and besides them, for those who are not mentioned. According to our opinion, this meaning is strongly supported by many Ahadees, وَلِلّٰەِ الْحَمْد.(Al-Mustanad-ul-Mu’tamad ma’ Al-Mu’taqad-ul-Muntaqad, pp. 127)

  In Fatawa Razawiyyah, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه has stated: It is proved from Ahadees that the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the authority of intercession. He صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم will be the Shafi’ [شَفِیع] [intercessor] in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, and ‘Ulama and Awliya will make intercession of those associated with them in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.(Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 21, pp. 464)

  Sadr-ush-Shari’ah, Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه has stated: On the Day of Judgement, the status of Shafa’at-e-Kubra [the greatest intercession] is amongst the peculiarities of the Beloved Rasool (صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم); no one will have the courage to make intercession unless the Beloved Rasool (صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) opens the “Door of Intercession”. In fact, actually all the intercessors will bring intercession in the court of the Beloved Rasool (صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم), and amongst Creation, only the Beloved Rasool (صَلَّى اللّٰہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) is the Shafi’ [intercessor] in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.(Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 70)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ  عَزَّوَجَلَّ  وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered by:Mufti Fuzail Raza Attari