• Even The Angels In The Heavens Shall Not Intercede But With God’s Permission

• Those Who Set Imaginary Gods For Themselves Follow Only Their Ow N Conjectures

• Good And Evil Shall Be Duly Recompensed

• This Clears The Position Of The Angels Regarding Intercession

An-Najm Verses 26 - 32

وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ

“And how many an angel in heavens are whose intercession is of no avail at all save after that permitteth God whomsoever willeth He and chooseth1“ (53:26)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنْثَىٰ

“Verily, those who believe not in the hereafter2name the angels3with female names” (53:27)

وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

“But they have not of it anything of knowledge; they follow nothing but a conjecture; verily a conjecture availeth naught the truth at all4“ (53:28)

فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

“Therefore, turn thou5aside from him who turneth his back against Our reminder, and desireth not anything but the life of this world6“ (53:29)

ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ

That is the (last) reach of their knowledge; Verily, thy Lord knoweth best of him who is astray from His path and He knoweth best of him who is guided aright” (53:30)

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى

“And God’s is whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, that He may recompense those who do evil for what they did, and that He may recompense those who do good, with what is best” (53:31)

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنْتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

“Those who do avoid the great ones of the sin and shameful7deeds save accidentally8verily, thy Lord is (the Lord of) vast forgiveness: He knoweth best about you when He raised you from the earth9and when ye are embryos in the wombs of your mothers; so assert ye not the purity of your selves; He knoweth best of him who guardeth (himself against evil)” (53:32)

Commentary

Verse 26

The disbelievers hoped for the intercession of the angels, for them. It shall be of no avail to them for there could be no intercession without God’s permission10.

Verse 32

Among ‘Kaba’ir’, i.e., the great sins, is adultery and theft which are very vehemently condemned in Islam and severely punished.

‘Lamam’, i.e., stands for the desire or the intention not enacted and also the sins committed before embracing Islam, i.e., while the individual was ignorant of the laws against the evils, but subsequently repented for and amended.

“God is liberal in forgiving” - As His existence is infinite, every attribute of His is also unlimited - so also is His mercy and grace which comes into action for His creatures, even without asking for it, and asking for it on the part of any individual, entitles the individual to the bounties desired for and in the case of a sinner, it entitles him to forgiveness11 .

One should not attribute purity to one’s self - i.e., abstain from self-praise and self-aggrandisement. People used to boast of having spent the night in prayers and the day in fasting. Since none knows whether the Lord has also accepted the offerings and also because such self-praise is against the modesty, one should practice to avoid his Self getting infatuated.

Praising one’s own goodness should always be avoided and instead one should day by day cultivate humility both in word and deed.

• 1. This clears the position of the angels regarding intercession.
• 2. The life beyond the physical one.
• 3. The heathens believed the angels to be the daughters of God.
• 4. This applies to all materialistic schools.
• 5. The Prophet addressed for the people.
• 6. This indicates that the materialists see everything in the term of material life.
• 7. Indecencies.
• 8. Provided followed immediately.
• 9. Dust.
• 10. Refer to Verses 2:255; 4:85; 10:3; 19:87; 20:109; 21:28; 34:23; 39:44; 74:48.
• 11. Refer to Verse 39:53.