39 Az-Zumar (The Throngs)
Mecca Period 59
The Arabic text and Ali’s version
أَمِ
اتَّخَذُوا
مِن
دُونِ
اللَّهِ
شُفَعَاء...
39:43. What!
Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah?
C4310. Let alone worship, men should not rely upon any power or person other than Allah to help them out or intercede for them. When it is idols, they are poor lifeless things which have obviously neither power nor intelligence. But even prophets or saints or heroes have no power to intercede except as Allah wills and permits. See next note.
... قُلْ أَوَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَمْلِكُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
Say: "Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?"
قُل
لِّلَّهِ
الشَّفَاعَةُ
جَمِيعًا...
44. Say:
"To Allah belongs exclusively (the right to grant) Intercession:
C4311. For Shafaat (Intercession, Advocacy) see 2:255; 10:3; 20:109, n. 2634; and 21:28, n. 2688.
It follows that no one can intercede with Allah, except
- by Allah's permission, and
- for those who have prepared themselves by penitence for Allah's acceptance.
Even in earthly Courts, Advocacy is not permitted to any one; the Advocate must be granted the position of Advocate before he can plead before the judge. Nor can it be supposed that a plea for forgiveness or mercy can be put forward except on grounds recognised by equity and justice.
... لَّهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ...
to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth:
... ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
in the End, it is to Him that ye shall be brought back."
C4312. At all times, including our present life, all dominion belongs to Allah. At the End of the present plane of existence, we shall be placed before Allah for Judgment. Cf. 10:4.
وَإِذَا
ذُكِرَ
اللَّهُ
وَحْدَهُ
اشْمَأَزَّتْ
قُلُوبُ
الَّذِينَ
لَا
يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِالْآخِرَةِ...
Asad’s version
39:42 [Asad] It is God [alone that has this power - He] who causes all human beings to die at the time of their [bodily] death, and [causes to be as dead], during their sleep, those that have not yet died: 44 thus, He withholds [from life] those upon whom He has decreed death, and lets the others go free for a term set [by Him).
In [all] this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think!
39:43 And yet, 45 they choose [to worship], side by side with God, [imaginary] intercessors !" Say: "Why - even though they have no power over anything, and no understanding?" 47
39:44 Say: "God's alone is [the power to bestow the right of] intercession: 48 His [alone] is the dominion over the heavens and the earth; and, in the end, unto Him you will all be brought back."
Person (nafs) = Consciousness
39:42 God takes the person when it dies, and during their sleep. He then keeps those that have been overtaken by death, and He sends the others back until a predetermined time. In that are signs for a people who will think.
Polytheists are Disturbed when God is Mentioned Alone
39:43 Or have they taken intercessors besides God? Say, "What if they do not possess any power, nor understanding?"
39:44 Say, "To God belong all intercessions." To Him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.*
39:45 When God Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not acknowledge the Hereafter are filled with aversion; and when others are mentioned beside Him, they rejoice!*
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[[ Asad’s notes - 45 This is the meaning of the particle am in this context (Zamakhshari), implying that despite all the evidence of God's almightiness, many people tend to disregard it.
46 I.e., intercessors who could act as such independently of God's permission - an assumption which the Qur'an categorically denies (see surah 10, note 7).
47 A reference to the adoration of dead saints or their tombs or relics, as well as of inanimate representations of saints, of imaginary deities, etc.
48 Regarding the problem of intercession as such, see note 7 on 10:3.
Asad’s note 7 on 10:3 - Lit., "there is no intercessor whatever, save after His leave [has been granted]". Cf 2:255 - "Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?" Thus, the Qur'an rejects the popular belief in unqualified "intercession" by living or dead saints or prophets. As is shown elsewhere in the Qur'an (e.g., in 20:109, 21:28 or 34:23), God will grant to His prophets on Judgment Day the permission to intercede", symbolically, for such of the sinners as will have already achieved His redemptive acceptance (rida 1 ) by virtue of their repentance or basic goodness (see 19:87 and the corresponding note 74): in other words, the right of "intercession" thus granted to the prophets will be but an expression of God's approval of the latter. Furthermore, the above denial of the possibility of unqualified intercession stresses, indirectly, not only God's omniscience - which requires no "mediator" - but also the immutability of His will: and thus it connects with the preceding mention of His almightiness. (See also note 27 below.) ]]