Intercession: is it really allowed in Islam?

by Hasnain Asharia, based on  the lecture by Syed Ammar Nakshawani

Some people claim that asking for help to other than Allah is polytheism. Such people should never go to a doctor when they become sick because this is polytheism. By them going to the doctor, they are seeking help from a specialist even though Allah is there to seek help from. We see from revelation that intercession must occur, for example Allah sends his message to the Prophets and the Prophets portray the message to mankind; hence this is a form of intercession. Therefore on Yawmul Qiyamah we can see that mankind will be in need of help and so the Prophets will intercede for them to Allah. Still weary of this; let us go to the Holy Book.

What they fail to understand is that if we seek help from anybody, we do it with the understanding that he by his own cannot help us without Allah’s permission. If one calls Prophet Muhammad (SAW) or Imam Ali (AS) for help, he is, in fact, calling Allah for help through intermediary of the Prophet or the Imams, and he does that with the understanding that the Prophet or the Imams do not have any independent power, but rather what they have is ‘credit’ in front of Allah and that Allah does not put down their requests if they pray to Allah on my behalf. Imam Ali and all the martyrs are alive as Quran clearly testifies, though they are not on the earth. So please do not treat them as dead. Allah states in Quran:

Think not of those who are martyred in the way of Allah as dead. Nay! They are living, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord." (Qur’an 3:169 and 2:154)

In fact all of our Imams except Imam Mahdi (aj)were martyred either by the sword or by poison. So they should not be called dead since they are alive according to the Quran. Thus we can make Tawassul to them the same way that the Shia of Moses made Tawassul to Moses:

"And he (Moses) went into the city at a time when people (of the city) were not watching, so he found therein two men fighting, one being of his Shia and the other being his enemy, and the one who was of his Shia cried out to him for help against the one who was of his enemy" (Quran 28:15)


Two things which distinguish Tawassul and Shirk should be noted here. First, we do not believe that the Prophet and Imams have any independent power from Allah. Second, Allah is the one who assigned the intermediate. The idol worshipers used a wrong intermediate, and that was another reason why it was condemned. Such evidence can be found in the Quran, 2:48, 6:70, 6:94 and 74:48.

These verses are often displayed to refute the idea of intercession, however we have just discussed that these verses are out of context and are directed to the idol worshippers for taking the wrong intermediary.


Let us now examine verses of the Quran which portray the acceptance of intercession. We see in the Quran that had the sinners asked the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to ask Allah for their forgiveness, Allah would have forgiven them.

"when they had wronged themselves , they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah and asked forgiveness of the messenger , they would have found Allah Forgiving , Merciful." (Quran 4: 64) 


Another example in history involving our beloved Prophet Muhammed (SAW) is mentioned in Surah Munafiqoon; if the hypocrites only turned to the Prophet (SAW) to ask forgiveness for them from Allah, they would have been forgiven, but their arrogance did not let them.

"Come! The messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you! they avert their faces and thou seest them turning away , disdainful." (Quran 63:5)


A famous example is in Ayaatul Kursee where it states that intercession can occur on Yawmul Qiyamah by Allah's permission.

"Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth?" (Quran 2:255)


Other examples include Quran 19:87, 20:109, 53:26, 21:28, 43:86, and 5:35 (left).

Finally there is a famous hadith, which is accepted unanimously by Shia and Sunnis, that states intercession can occur through the scholars and martyrs. Therefore the martyr of Kerabala, Imam Al-Hussayn (as) or the
martyr in Kufa Imam Ali (as) struck down while in Sujood. Were they not both scholars as well? Most surely they fit both categories.

Inshallah this has clarified the topic. Though it may be rather long winded, it must be addressed as it is a very common misconception. May Allah (swt) guide us all to the Siratul Mustaqeem.

Allah Alam. Anything good I have said is from Allah and any mistake is most surely from me.