وَلا يَملِكُ الَّذينَ يَدعونَ مِن دونِهِ الشَّفاعَةَ إِلّا مَن شَهِدَ بِالحَقِّ وَهُم يَعلَمونَ

Those whom they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession, except those who are witness to the truth and who know [for whom to intercede].

EXPOSITION

This verse emphatically refutes the belief of the polytheists, that their idols would intercede for them, They worship besides Allah that which neither causes them any harm, nor brings them any benefit, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah’ (10:18).

Those whom they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession: intercession here refers to intercession on the Day of Judgement, in light of the previous verse which concluded with and to Him you will be brought back.^{‎[1]Rahnama, 17/115.}

The verse emphasises that intercession is not automatic nor a right possessed by anyone independent of Allah’s will. Rather, it is a grace from Allah granted to specific individuals whom He has honoured, and it occurs only by His permission and for those whom He approves. It establishes a critical principle: false deities have no power of intercession whatsoever, while true intercession belongs exclusively to those who meet specific qualifications.

The context of the verse suggests that Those whom they invoke besides Him is general and encompasses all beings that are claimed to be partners to God including angels, jinn, idols, as well as humans such as Prophet Jesus (a) and Prophet Ezra (a).^{‎[2]Mizan, 18/127.}

The Quran frequently declares that the power of intercession is only restricted to those whom God grants permission. Even with regards to the angels that some of the disbelievers considered as deities and hoped for their intercession in this world, God declares, How many an angel there is in the heavens whose intercession is of no avail in any way except after Allah grants permission to whomever He wishes and approves of! (53:26).

In summary, the verse establishes that intercession is not something anyone owns or controls independently. Even Prophet Muhammad (s) does not possess intercession as a right – it is granted by Allah’s will and permission, as affirmed in other verses such as, Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? (2:255).

The negation here targets specifically those invoked besides Allah, whether they are false gods or even legitimate beings like angels or prophets, when the worshippers believe they have independent intercessory power.

Those who are witness to the truth is understood to refer to specific categories of individuals. The truth (al-ḥaqq) in absolute terms refers to Allah Himself, as He is al-ḥaqq. Thus, those who bear witness to Allah with true knowledge are the ones whose intercession is accepted. In other words, it refers to the path of monotheism and the intended meaning of witnessing it is confessing truly to the religion of Islam.^{‎[3]Mizan, 18/127.}

Other exegetes maintain it refers to one who testifies to all that is true. Specifying this exclusively as monotheism lacks explicit evidence – even though monotheism is undoubtedly the most important and fundamental truth intended by the phrase.^{‎[4]Hadi, 3/275.}

Furthermore, ‘bearing witness’ may also imply their manifestation of the truth and their struggle in its defence. To bear witness to the truth in an absolute sense, in every situation, necessarily entails this active commitment. This full and perfect description applies only to the prophets, the messengers, and the infallible Imams.^{‎[5]Hadi, 3/276.}

And who know: to negate the possibility that those who are granted the permission to intercede on the Day of Judgement for those who do not deserve it, the verse adds the qualification and who know.^{‎[6]Amthal, 16/109.}

Since knowledge is mentioned in an absolute sense, it refers to awareness of the true state of the one for whom they would intercede. They must be aware of the true state and the true deeds of the person for whom they wish to intercede, None shall speak except whom the All-Beneficent permits and who says what is right (78:38).^{‎[7]Mizan, 18/127.} In other words, those vested with the authority to intercede on the Day of Judgement are well aware of those who are deserving of intercession and those who lack the necessary entitlement.^{‎[8]Rahnama, 17/115.} This verse would then be similar in purport to, and they do not intercede except for someone He approves of (21:28).^{‎[9]Mizan, 18/127; Abu al-Futuh, 17/196.}

Some exegetes interpret and who know as meaning they know in their hearts what they have testified to with their tongues. This indicates that the true essence of faith is belief with the heart and knowledge, because God has conditioned, along with the testimony of the tongue, knowledge – which necessitates the heart’s being at peace with what it believes, to the extent that it does not doubt or get agitated when doubts are stirred.^{‎[10] Tabrisi, 9/90.}

However, other exegetes have weakened such an interpretation by saying that if the subject pronoun in who know and who are witness refers to the intercessors, as is being claimed, then this would entail making Islam and the absence of hypocrisy a condition for intercessors – something that would also include sinful Muslims. Moreover, to the truth is not the object of the verb witness. Rather, it is an attribute of the witnessing itself and is attached to it, meaning ‘one who bears a true and genuine testimony’, as opposed to a testimony of falsehood and invalidity.^{‎[11] Muhammad Bāqir Malikī Miyānajī, Badāyiʿ al-Kalām fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Aḥkām, 1/145.}

In summary, the verse negates the ability of all false deities from interceding on the Day of Judgement and restricts intercession for those who have two qualities: they testify truly and profoundly to the oneness of God, and have knowledge about the entitlement of those for whom they will intercede.

It is reported that Naḍr ibn Ḥārith and a group of the Quraysh once responded to the Prophet’s teachings by claiming that if what Muhammad (s) says is true then we shall befriend the angels and they shall intercede for us on the Day of Judgement, and they are more worthy of interceding for us than he is. It was then that this verse was revealed.^{‎[12] Tabrisi, 9/90; Muqatil, 3/806.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. In a lengthy letter attributed to Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Knowledge is of two kinds. One kind is a firm, inward knowledge grounded in insight, by which the religion of God is truly known, and through which one arrives at knowledge of God. This is the inner, established knowledge itself, which gives rise to its due right and obligates its possessors to give thanks to God for it – an endowment from God by which He bestows favour upon whom He wills – together with outward knowledge. The other kind is knowledge that is merely outward. The people of outward knowledge – those who have come to know our affair correctly yet without true understanding – do not reach the rank of the people of inward knowledge who possess insight. Through this deficient knowledge they do not arrive at the true knowledge of God, as He, exalted, says in His book, Those whom they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession, except those who are witness to the truth and who know [for whom to intercede]. Thus, whoever bears witness to the testimony of truth without binding his heart to it and without possessing insight about what he is saying, is not rewarded as one who binds his heart to it with insight. Likewise, one who speaks falsely without binding his heart to it is not punished with the punishment of one who binds his heart to it and persists upon it with insight.’^{‎[13] Basair, p. 529; Bihar, 24/290.}
2. Jaʿfar ibn ʿĪsā is reported to have written a letter to Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), asking him: ‘May I be made your ransom, some neighbours of mine came to me with a document. They claimed they had called upon me to witness what was in it. In the document was my name, in my own handwriting, which I recognised. However, I do not remember being called to witness it. Now they are calling upon me to testify for them. Should I testify for them based on my knowledge that my name is in the document, even though I do not remember the act of witnessing itself? Or is it not obligatory for me to testify for them unless I remember it – regardless of whether my name was in the document in my handwriting or not?’ He wrote back: ‘Do not testify.’^{‎[14] Kafi, 7/382.} And in other versions, the Imam adds: ‘Do not testify until you are certain that you had witnessed. Allah says, except those who are witness to the truth and who know.’^{‎[15] Daʿāʾim al-Islām, 2/515}
3. In another narration, Zayd al-Zarrād says that he heard Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) say: ‘Do not testify to that which you do not know. And do not testify except to that which you know and remember.’ I said: ‘What if I recognise the handwriting, the seal, and the engraving, but I do not remember anything [about witnessing the event]? Should I testify?’ He said: ‘No; handwriting can be forged, and a seal can be forged. Do not testify except to that which you know and of which you have a memory. For if you testify to that which you do not know, you will take your seat in the fire on the Day of Resurrection. And if you testify to that which you do not remember, Allah will strip you of discernment [or faith] and leave you with hypocrisy until the Day of Reckoning.’^{‎[16] Al-Uṣūl al-Sittat ʿAshar, p. 2.}

Note: These two narrations can be considered as extracting a general principle from the verse. Whilst the verse is specifically discussing those who are granted the authority to intercede on the Day of Judgement, being the ones who testified to God’s oneness with their tongues whilst also having certainty and knowledge of the same, these narrations apply the same criteria to any kind of legal testifying in worldly matters. As such, it is not permissible for someone to verbally testify to something unless they are certain and have knowledge of that matter. This has also been extracted from the verse by some Sunni exegetes.^{‎[17] Qurtubi, 16/123; Ibn al-Jawzi, 4/86.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes postulate that those who are witness to the truth and who know is a description of those who shall receive intercession and not the intercessors. As such, witness to the truth means testifying to the oneness of God, and know means that the testifying is not merely lip service but an indication of deep-rooted faith.^{‎[18] Tantawi, 13/107.} This view has been attributed to Mujāhid.^{‎[19] Tibyan, 9/221; Tabari, 20/661.} As such, the verse intends to portray the acceptance of intercession for those who were truly faithful in this world.

However, what weakens this interpretation is that it directs the restriction towards those for whom intercession is made, meaning that these gods do not possess intercession for the polytheists who worship them besides God, but possess it only for believing monotheists. As is evident, this contradicts the explicit context, for the verse is in the position of invalidating the polytheists’ claim that their idols and gods have a right to intercession, and of restricting intercession to God’s near servants, those who are devoted in worship and exalted therein.^{‎[20] Muhammad Bāqir Malikī Miyānajī, Badāyiʿ al-Kalām fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Aḥkām, 1/144.}

Some exegetes argue that the verse is primarily concerned with the intercession of the angels. It posits that whilst false deities hold no power of intercession whatsoever, the angels are permitted to intercede, but only for a distinct group: those who have moved from polytheism to sincerely professing faith in God, His messengers, and the Final Day. The vast majority of polytheists, who reject the truth, are entirely excluded, We certainly brought you the truth, but most of you were averse to the truth (verse 78).

For the believing minority, however, angelic intercession – understood here as their prayers for divine forgiveness – becomes accessible, particularly for those believers who have sinned, alluded to in, Those who bear the Throne, and those around it, celebrate the praise of their Lord and have faith in Him, and they plead for forgiveness for the faithful: ‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your way and save them from the punishment of hell’ (40:7).^{‎[21] Khatib, 13/173-174.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.^{‎[22] Romans 8:27.}

[1] Rahnama, 17/115.
[2] Mizan, 18/127.
[3] Mizan, 18/127.
[4] Hadi, 3/275.
[5] Hadi, 3/276.
[6] Amthal, 16/109.
[7] Mizan, 18/127.
[8] Rahnama, 17/115.
[9] Mizan, 18/127; Abu al-Futuh, 17/196.
[10] Tabrisi, 9/90.
[11] Muhammad Bāqir Malikī Miyānajī, Badāyiʿ al-Kalām fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Aḥkām, 1/145.
[12] Tabrisi, 9/90; Muqatil, 3/806.
[13] Basair, p. 529; Bihar, 24/290.
[14] Kafi, 7/382.
[15] Daʿāʾim al-Islām, 2/515
[16] Al-Uṣūl al-Sittat ʿAshar, p. 2.
[17] Qurtubi, 16/123; Ibn al-Jawzi, 4/86.
[18] Tantawi, 13/107.
[19] Tibyan, 9/221; Tabari, 20/661.
[20] Muhammad Bāqir Malikī Miyānajī, Badāyiʿ al-Kalām fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Aḥkām, 1/144.
[21] Khatib, 13/173-174.
[22] Romans 8:27.