THE INTERCESSION OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD Extracted from The Cure SAHIH-SHEFA by Supreme Justice Abulfadl Eyad, died (1123CE - Islamic Year 544H) Reported by Grand Muhaddith Habib Hafiz Abdullah Ben Sadek Revised by Muhaddith Abdullah Talidi An adaptation by Servant of Hadith, Shaykh Ahmad Darwish (Arabic) Khadeijah A. Stephens (English) Ayesha Nadriya (Indonesian) Copyright © 1984-2011 Allah.com Muhammad.com. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy – Guidelines The Favor of Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Resurrection Anas tells us that one day the Prophet spoke of the events which will occur on the Day of Resurrection. He said, "When mankind are revived, I will be the first to emerge, and I will be their spokesman when they arrive. When they despair, I will give them good news. The Banner of Praise will be in my hand. I am the noblest of the children of Adam before my Lord, and I am not being boastful." Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet said, "I am the first for whom the earth will split open and I will be robed in a robe of Paradise, and I will stand on the right of the Throne where no created being other than I will stand." Abu Hurayrah also reported that the Prophet said, "I will be the Master of the Children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, the first for whom the tombs split open, and the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted." Abu Sayeid Al Khudri tells us that the Prophet spoke of the position of all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection, saying, "On the Day of Resurrection I will be the master of the Children of Adam and the Banner of Praise will be in my hand, and this is not a boast. All the prophets from the time of Adam will come under my banner, and I will be the first for whom the earth splits open, and this is no boast." Abbas' son tells us that the Prophet spoke of his accepted intercession and the opening of the Gates to Paradise, saying, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the bearer of the Banner of Praise, and this is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is no boast. I will be the first to knock with the circular door knocker at the Gates of Paradise and they will be opened for me and I will enter accompanied by impoverished believers, and this is no boast. Amongst the first and the last I will be the most honored, and this is no boast." Anas heard the Prophet say, "I will be the first of all people to intercede in Paradise, and I will be the one with the most followers." Anas also quoted the Prophet saying, "I will be the master of all people on the Day of Resurrection. Do you know why? Allah will gather the first and the last….." and quoted the well known hadith of the intercession. The Prophet indicated that on that Day, it is he alone who will be given the mastery and intercession. This is because mankind will not find refuge in any other prophet and seek refuge with him. When a person is in need he seeks the help of a master, and on that Day it is Prophet Muhammad alone among all mankind who will be given mastery. There will be none to share with him or claim otherwise. Allah says, "And who is the Owner of the Kingdom on that Day? Allah, the One, the Conqueror!" (40:16). Both this world and the Everlasting world belong to Allah, and those who laid claim to their kingdom will be severed, and there is no doubt that Prophet Muhammad will be given mastery over all people in the Everlasting Life. Anas heard the Prophet say, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will approach the Gate of Paradise and ask for it to be opened. Its guardian will inquire, 'Who are you?' and I will reply 'Muhammad', whereupon he will say, 'I was ordered not to open the door to anyone before you.'" The Pool of the Prophet The following prophetic quotations describe the Pool of the Prophet : Abdullah, Amr's son, said that the Prophet told them, "The length of a journey across my pool is that of a month. Its water is whiter than silver and its fragrance is sweeter than musk. Its vessels are like the stars in the heaven and whosoever drinks from it will never thirst again." Abu Dharr reported a similar saying, but gave details that the length of the Pool is the distance between Aden and Amman (capital of Jordan) and Ailah (a city by the sea in Palestine) and that two spouts from Paradise flow into it (from the river of Kawthar). Tsauban reported similar and added, "There are two streams, one of them from gold and the other from silver." Haritha, Wahab's son said, "Or, the length of pool is between Medina and Sanna (capital of Yemen)." Anas said, "The distance is between Ailah and Sanna." Omar's son said, "The distance is between Kufa (a city in Iraq) and the Black Stone (in Mecca)." The preceding hadith has been related by Lady Ayesha and over thirty Companions and may Allah be pleased with them. The Friendship and Love of Allah to His Prophet The favoring of Prophet Muhammad and his close friendship for the receivership of the Love of Allah. There are many authenticated prophetic quotations that speak of our Prophet's selection over and above all of the creation of Allah as being "The beloved of Allah" and Muslims often refer to him by this title. (Shaykh Darwish commented: There is a difference between the exalted titles of 'close friend' and 'beloved' and these will be explained in due course.) The Prophet spoke of his closeness to Abu Bakr saying, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr." We are also informed that the Prophet said "Your companion (referring to himself) is the close friend of Allah" and this is endorsed by the transmission from Abdullah, Masood's son in his narration, "Allah took your companion (Prophet Muhammad ) as a close friend." Several of the Companions had gathered and waited for the arrival of the Prophet and during this time they spoke to one another about the ranks of the prophets. Abbas' son reported that when the Prophet came out he overheard their conversation, one of whom was saying, "How remarkable, Allah took Abraham from His creation as His close friend," Another said, "It is even more remarkable that He spoke to Moses!" Whereupon another said, "Jesus is the word of Allah and His created spirit." And another said, "Allah chose Adam!" Having heard their comments, the Prophet greeted them and told them that he had heard what they were saying and noticed that they were amazed that Allah had chosen Abraham as a close friend, and confirmed that this was indeed so. Then he said, "You also expressed your amazement that Allah spoke to Moses, and this too is so. You also spoke of Jesus as being the created spirit of Allah, and this is so, and that Adam was chosen and this is so. I am the beloved of Allah, and I am not boasting. From the first to the last I am the most honored of all, and I am not being boastful." There are differences in opinion regarding the terminology "close friend" and the root word from which it is derived. There are those who say the Arabic word "khalil", meaning 'close friend', also bears the definition of "devoted to Allah." This is because people who attain such a rank of devotion, or love of Allah are not detached from one another. Another opinion is that the word "khalil" is the root of the word derived from "taking a matter to be pure." Prophet Abraham was called the close friend of Allah "khalilu'llah" on account of the ultimate intensity of his devotion to Allah. The friendship of Allah to Abraham was that He made him victorious and a role model. On the other hand, there are those who define the root of "khalil", which is "khulla" meaning "in need" as being "a poor person in need". Abraham was known by this title because his need was only in his Lord and he was devotedly dependant upon Him for his needs and did not depend upon others. Abu Bakr Furack's son defined the word "khulla" with the meaning of "pure love" that necessitates a person being singled out for the purpose of being infused by secrets." It has also been said that the root of the word "khulla" is love, and incorporates kindness, help, raising and intercession. This is founded in the verse that reads, "The Jews and Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.' Say (Prophet Muhammad), 'Why then does He punish you for your sins?' (5:18). It is inconceivable that if a person is beloved that, he should be punished for his sins! (Shaykh Darwish commented: The Prophethood has perspectives between people and the prophet, whereas the friendship has a perspective between Allah and Prophet Muhammad which makes it very special.) It has been said that 'khulla' is stronger than offspring because Allah said, "Some of your wives and children are enemies, so beware of them" (64:14), whereas enmity cannot be linked to khulla. Because of their devotion to Allah, both Prophets Abraham and Muhammad, peace be upon them, were titled "close friends." They looked to Him for all their needs and severed themselves from needing anyone else. And, it was either because of the greatness of the concealed kindness of Allah to them, and the disclosed knowledge of the Divine secrets they received, as well as the matters of the Unseen worlds and faith with which they were infused in their inner self that they forsook other means and causes. Or, because their hearts had been purified from anything other than Him, so that love for anything else was prevented from reaching them. For this reason a scholar said, "A person who is 'khalil' is one whose heart has no room for anyone other than Allah." Accordingly, the same scholar is of the opinion that this is what the Prophet referred to when he said, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr, however, in Islam there is brotherhood." Opinions vary among the knowledgeable of the matters relating to the heart as to which is the higher degree and the question arises is the degree of close friendship, or the degree of love the higher? On the other hand there are those who consider both degrees as being equal to one another saying that the beloved is a close friend and a close friend is also the beloved. But then, Prophet Abraham was given the degree of close friendship and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them both, was given the beloved status. In support of the opinion that the degree of friendship is higher, one of the scholars quotes the saying of the Prophet that, says, "If I were to have taken a close friend other than my Lord …" but he did not do so and we find him using the word 'love' to his daughter Lady Fatima, her sons, as well as Osama and others. The consensus of most scholars is that "love" is higher than "friendship". To sustain this opinion they use as their proof that Prophet Muhammad was given the title of the "Beloved" whereas Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was titled "Close Friend". One must examine the human basis of love and know that it is the inclination of what the beloved finds pleasing. The love of Allah is not connected to unessential matters. Rather, His love for His worshipers is comprised of happiness, protection, success, and affairs that bring him/her closer and His Mercy that overflows upon the recipient. The highest degree is reached when the veils of the heart are removed so that the worshiper sees Him with his heart and looks at Him with his inner eye. This is supported by the Divine quotation that tells us, "When I (Allah) love him I am his hearing by which he hears, the sight by which he sees, and his tongue by which he speaks." One should understand by this that there is nothing better for a worshiper other than seclusion for the sake of Allah, devotion to Him, the turning away from anything other than Allah, the purity of the heart and sincerity of actions for the sake of Allah. Lady Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the Prophet , and she said, "His character was the Koran." It is an undoubted fact that Prophet Muhammad was blessed to be the receiver of not only the quality of close friendship but also the very special quality of love. When the unbelievers said, "Muhammad means we should love him just as the Christians love Jesus, the son of Mary", Allah sent down the verse that reads "Say, (Prophet Muhammad), 'If you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins" (3:31). And His anger towards them becomes apparent in the following verse that tells us, "Say, 'Obey Allah and His Messenger.' But if they turn away, then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers" (3:32). In this verse Allah increased the honor the Prophet . Note how He issued the command to obey His Prophet in connection with obedience to Himself – this is followed by the warning if they choose to turn away, "then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers." A theologian explained the difference between the two ranks of the love of Prophet Muhammad and the close friendship of Abraham. He said that, the close friend reaches Allah through hope. To support his explanation, he quoted the verses, ""and whom I am eager shall forgive me my sins" (26:82). Whereas He indicated that the beloved, Prophet Muhammad reaches Allah by Allah in the verse, "that Allah forgives your past and future sins, and completes His Favor to you and guides you on a Straight Path" (48:2) . It has also been said, the limit of the close friend is the desire for forgiveness, whereas the one who is the beloved is absolutely certain that he will be forgiven. We refer back to Prophet Abraham whose rank is that of the close friend and the verse in which he said, "and whom I am eager shall forgive me my sins" (26:82) and now to the verse, "Allah will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will run before them on their right hands" (66:8). When affliction came upon the 'close friend' Abraham, he said, "Allah suffices me." Whereas Prophet Muhammad, the Beloved was told by Allah, "O Prophet, Allah suffices you and whosoever follows you of the believers" (8:64). The 'close friend' Abraham said, "And appoint me a tongue of truthfulness among the latter" (26:82). Whereas Prophet Muhammad, 'the Beloved', was told, in the verse, "Have We not raised your remembrance?" (94:4). The ‘close friend’ said, "Turn me and my children away from worshipping idols" (14:35). Whereas the ‘Beloved’ was told, "O family of the house, Allah only wishes to distance fault from you, and to cleanse you" (33:33). The preceding information is sufficient, to give one a glimpse into the superiority of the rank, degrees and status of Prophet Muhammad and to the inform you of the opinions of the scholars of Islam. Allah says, "Each human works in his own manner. But your Lord knows very well who is best guided on the way" (17:84). The Favored Intercession of Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgement Allah tells Prophet Muhammad "Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station" (17:79). Omar's son said, "On the Day of Resurrection people will come kneeling. Each nation will follow their prophet asking, 'O so-and-so, intercede for us!' And this will continue until the intercession is given to Prophet Muhammad . It is on that Day that Allah will raise Prophet Muhammad to the Praiseworthy Station." Omar's son said, "He (The Prophet) will advance, and with the circular handle, knock at the Gates of the Paradise. It is on that Day that Allah will grant him the promised Praiseworthy Station." One day the Prophet spoke of a choice he had been given, and Abu Moses Al Ashari tells us he said, "I was given a choice of either having half of my nation enter Paradise, or being granted the intercession. I chose the intercession because it is more encompassing. Do you think that it is on behalf of those who fear Allah? Rather, it is for those who fall into error and sin." Habibah’s mother heard Prophet Muhammad say, "I was shown by Allah what will happen to my nation after me. They will shed the blood of one another, and this also occurred in previous nations, and the same will happen to them. Because of this I asked Allah that on the Day of Resurrection He grants me permission to intercede on their behalf, and this He has done." Hudhayfah informs us, "Allah will gather mankind altogether, after the Caller has called them on a high plain where they can hear and see the caller. They will be barefoot, and as naked as when they were created. All will be silent, no one will speak, except by the permission of Allah. There will be a call, 'Muhammad.' And he will reply, 'Obedient with happiness to You! Goodness is in Your Hands, evil is not (attributed) to You. The one You guide is guided, and Your worshiper is here in Your presence, Yours, to You. Except with You, there is no place of safety or refuge. You are the Blessed and Exalted. Glory be to You, the Lord of the House.'" Hudhayfah also said, "that is the Praiseworthy Station of which Allah has spoken." Jabir, Abdullah's son asked Yazid Al Faqir whether he had heard something about the station of Prophet Muhammad . Yazid replied that he had and said, "It is the Praiseworthy Station of Muhammad through which Allah will release from the Fire whosoever comes from it." Then he recalled the famous prophetic quotation of intercession that speaks of the release of people from Hell saying, “The people asked the Messenger of Allah “O Messenger of Allah will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? The Messenger of Allah replied, “Do you doubt that you will see the moon on the night of the full moon?” They replied, “No, O Messenger of Allah . He asked, “Do you doubt that the sun is not a cloud?” They replied, “No, O Messenger of Allah . He said, “You will see Him as well ….” The hadith is lengthy and as it continues it mentions the people of Hell. “The Messenger said, “When the judgment of Allah upon His worshipers has reached its conclusion, and He wished on account of His Mercy to bring forth people from Hell, He will order the angels to bring forth from it anyone who did not associate anything with Allah from among those who say ‘There is no god except Allah’. So they (the angels) will recognize them on account of the signs of prostration upon their foreheads because Hell does not consume the children of Adam upon whom are the traces of prostration, that is because Allah has forbidden those parts be consumed by Hell. And they will emerge burned from the Fire, whereupon the water of life will be poured upon them and they will be revived just as a seed is revived in the spring. The Assembly on the Day of Resurrection and the Intercession of Prophet Muhammad There are many authentic prophetic sayings relating to the Prophet's exalted and honored position on the Day of Resurrection. Anas and several other Companions reported that the Prophet said, "Allah will join the first and the last, on the Day of Resurrection. They will be concerned or given thoughts with which they will say, 'If only we could seek intercession with our Lord!'" It is also reported that, "People will surge and search amongst each other." Concerning the circumstances of that Day, Abu Hurayrah tells us of the occasion when the Prophet spoke giving more details of the Day of Resurrection saying, "On that Day the sun will be very near to mankind and they will undergo unbearable suffering and distress. They will say among themselves, 'Is there no one to intercede for us?' And they will go to Adam and say, 'O Adam, you are the father of mankind. Allah created you with His Hands and breathed into you of His (created) spirit, and let you live in His Paradise, and commanded the angels to prostrate in your direction, and taught you the names of everything. Won't you intercede for us with your Lord? Don't you see our condition and the intense suffering that has overtaken us?' Adam will say, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before, and He will never be angered like it again. He forbade me to eat of a certain tree but I disobeyed Him. I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself. Go to someone else. Go to Noah.' So they will go to Noah and say, 'O Noah, you were the first Messenger to the people on earth, and Allah called you a grateful worshiper. Look at our condition, see how we suffer. Won't you intercede for us with your Lord?' He will tell them, 'My Lord is angry today, in a way in which He has never been angered before, and He will never be angered like it again. I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself, and he will mention the mistake he made when he asked his Lord without knowledge and say 'Go to someone else; go to Abraham, the close friend of Allah.' (In another narration his error is mentioned as being, 'I supplicated against my nation'). So they will go to Abraham and say, 'O Abraham, you are the Prophet of Allah, His close friend, chosen from the inhabitants of the earth, please intercede for us with your Lord. You can see the predicament we are in!' Abraham will tell them, 'My Lord is angry today, in a way in which He has never been angered before, and He will never be angered like it again. I was ambiguous in my speech three times - myself, myself, myself, therefore go to someone else, go to Moses. 'He is the worshiper to whom Allah gave the Torah and with whom He brought close to speak. So they will go to Moses and say, 'O Moses, you are a Messenger of Allah, please intercede for us with your Lord! Can't you see our condition?' He will say, 'My Lord is angry today in a way in which He has never been angered before. And he will mention his error that he killed a person. I am afraid for myself, for myself, for myself, go to someone else, go to Jesus, he is the created spirit by Allah and a Word created by Him. So they will go to Jesus and he will say, 'I do not have what you want, go to someone else, go to Muhammad. He is the worshiper whose past and future sins (being subject to protection from sin) have been (in the status of being) forgiven.' Then they will come to me and I will say, 'This I will do.' I will go, and ask the permission from my Lord, and He will grant me that permission. Then, when I see Him, I will fall prostrate before my Lord, (under the Throne). In another rendering, 'I will stand before Him, and praise Him with such praising that I could never aspire too, except through the inspiration of Allah.' Also, 'Allah will reveal His praises to me, such excellent praising that has never been granted to anyone before me.' In addition Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, "Then it will be said, 'O Muhammad, raise your head, and supplicate, you will be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.' Thereupon I will raise my head, and supplicate. 'My nation, O Lord, my nation. O Lord, my nation, O Lord.' And Allah will say, 'O Muhammad, take through the Gate on the right, and those of your nation who are not subject to the reckoning; they will share with other people through the various Gates.'" The preceding rendering is not mentioned by Anas who says that the Prophet said, "Then I will fall down prostrate and be told, 'Muhammad, raise your head. Speak and you will be heard. Intercede and it will be granted. Ask and you will be given!' And I will say: O Lord, my nation, my nation! And it will be said, 'Go and bring forth whosoever has even as little as a grain of barley of belief' and this I will do. Then I will return to my Lord and praise Him with His praising and Allah will tell me to go and bring whosoever has even the smallest weight of a mustard-seed of belief, and this I will do. Then I will be told, 'Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, intercede and it will be granted, ask and you will be given!' And I will say, 'O Lord, give me permission for whosoever says: There is no god except Allah. And Allah will say: That is not for you, but by My Might, My Pride, My Immensity and My Greatness, I will bring out of the Fire those who say: There is no god except Allah." Katada said that the Prophet will say, 'O Lord, let only those who are barred by the Koran remain (which means in Hell forever).'" Hudhayfah narrates, "They will go to Muhammad, and he will intercede. The Bridge will be established. The first of them will pass over like lightening, the next like the wind, the next like a bird, and the next like the speed of a camel, while our Prophet is on the Bridge supplicating, 'O Allah, grant safety, grant safety!' For as long as it takes for all mankind to cross." Abu Hurayrah heard the Prophet say, "I will be the first to pass over." To summarize these quotations, the intercession of our Beloved Prophet and his Praiseworthy Station stretches from the first intercession to the last. His intercession will alleviate mankind when they stand in wait for the final Reckoning with throats constricted, sweating profusely under the intense heat of the sun. When the Bridge is established, and mankind judged, the Prophet will hasten those who are not called to account through his intercession. Thereafter, he intercedes for those who are subject to be punished, and go to Hell, then he will intercede for all those who say, "There is no god except Allah", and this is not for others. From the well known quotation of the Prophet we learn, "Each prophet had a supplication which he makes. I have reserved my supplication for intercession for my nation on the Day of Resurrection." From the preceding quotation, the scholars of Islam say that it is certain that the supplication of prophets will be answered, and their wishes will thereby be granted. The number of our Prophet's accepted supplications cannot be counted. When noble prophets supplicate, they waver between hope and fear, and their supplication is guaranteed for them. The reserved supplication of our Beloved Prophet is specific for his nation, and its answer is guaranteed. Our Prophet said that he asked for his nation certain things in both Religion and in worldly affairs and that some were granted and others withheld. He hoards this supplication for the Day of Poverty, the Seal of all Afflictions, the time of unanswerable questions and unquenched desires. May Allah shower him with a repayment better than any other prophet has been repaid by his nation. May Allah praise him and grant him perfect peace continuously, abundantly and increasingly now and throughout all eternity. The Favoring of Prophet Muhammad in Paradise with the Intercession, High Rank, His Excellence, and the River of Abundance (Kawthar) Abdullah, Amr's son heard the Prophet say, "When you hear the call to prayer repeat what he says and ask for blessings upon me. Whosoever asks for blessings upon me once, Allah will bless him tenfold. Then ask Allah to give me the position of intermediary (wasila) that is a station in Paradise for only one recipient of the worshipers of Allah, and it is my hope that I will be that one. Whosoever asks Allah by this supplication will receive my intercession." Abu Hurayrah reported having heard that the rank of intermediary (wasila) is the highest degree in Paradise. We are given a glimpse of the River of Paradise in a report by Anas who tells us that the Prophet said, "When I was traveling through the Paradise, a river appeared before me. Its banks were domes of pearls. I asked Gabriel, 'What is this?' He replied, 'This is Kawthar which Allah has given you.' Then he struck the river bed with his hand and brought forth musk." Lady Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported something similar with the addition, "It flows over pearls and rubies, and its water is sweeter than honey and whiter than snow." We are also told, "It does not carve out a river bed as it flows, and there is a pool to which my nation will come." Abbas' son narrates a similar quotation to which is added, "Kawthar is the abundance of good given to him (Prophet Muhammad ) by Allah." Allah says, "Your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied" (93:5). Abbas' son tells us that there are one thousand castles of pearl and its earth is musk, and contains what is appropriate for them to house, and for him there are wives and youths.