39 Az-Zumar (The Throngs)

Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ شُفَعَاء...

43. What!

Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah?

... 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:

... 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."

Asad’s version

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."

*******************

[[ Ali’s notes:

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.

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.

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.]]

[[ 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.) ]]