Traditions Regarding Intercession

Sayyid Tabataba'i has also selected several traditions which speak of intercession on the Day of Rising by the Prophet (S.A.W.) and Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.). In order to become more familiar with the subject from this viewpoint, some of these narrations are mentioned here:
1. Al-Hussain Ibn Khalid narrates from Al-Ridha (A.S.), who narrated through his forefathers from the Leader of the Faithful (A.S.)that he said:
"Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said: `Whoever does not believe in my reservoir, may Allah not bring him to my reservoir, and whoever does not believe in my intercession, may Allah not extend to him my intercession.' Then he said: `Verily, my intercession is for those of my Ummah who shall have committed great sins; as for the good-doers, there shall be no difficulty for them. " Al-Hussain Ibn Khalid said: "I asked Al-Ridha (A.S.); `O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is then the meaning of the words of Allah, Mighty and Great is He: `and they do not intercede except for him whose religion Allah is pleased with, "' (Al Amali, As-Saduq).
2. "Suma'ah Ibn Mihran narrates from Abu Ibrahim (A.S.)that he said about the words of Allah:
May be your Lord will raise you to a praised position': The people, on the Day of Resurrection, will remain standing for forty years; and the sun will be ordered so that it will ride over their heads and they will be bridled with sweat, and the earth will be told not to accept any of their sweat. So, they shall approach Adam to intercede for them, and he will direct them to Nuh, and Nuh will direct them to Ibrahim, and Ibrahim will direct them to Musa, and Musa will direct them to Isa, and Isa will direct them saying: `You should seek help from Muhammad, the last Prophet.' Thereupon, Muhammad (S.A.W.) will say: `I'll do it'; and will proceed until arriving at the door of the Garden; he will knock on it. It will be asked, `Who is it?' (While Allah knows better), and he will say: `Muhammad,' then it will be said: `Open for him'. When the door will be opened, he will turn to his Lord, falling in sajdah. He will not raise his head until he is told: `Speak up and ask, you shall be given; and intercede, your intercession shall be granted.' He will raise his head and turning to his Lord, will fall (again) in sajdah. Then he will be promised as before; then he will raise his head.- Thereupon, he shall intercede until he will intercede even for him who would have been burnt in the fire. Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection, no one among all the nations will be more eminent than Muhammad (S.A.W.); and this is (the meaning of) the words of Allah: `May be your Lord will raise you to a praised position."(Al Ayyashi)
3. Ubayd Ibn Zurarah said:
'Abu Abdillah (A.S.)was asked whether a believer would have the right of intercession. He said: Yes.' Then someone said: `Will even a believer need the intercession of Muhammad (S.A.W.) on that day?' He said: Yes, the believers too will come with wrongs and sins; and there will be none but shall need the intercession of Muhammad on that day."' (Ubayd) said: 'And someone asked him about the words of the Messenger of Allah: `I am the Chief of the children of Adam, and I say this without boasting.' He said: Yes,'then he said: He will hold the chain-link of the door of the garden and open it; then he will fall in sajdah, and Allah will tell him: `Raise your head, to intercede, your intercession shall be granted; ask, you shall be given.' Thereupon, he will raise his head and intercede and his intercession will be accepted; and he will ask and be given.
4. Al-Qumi narrates a tradition in his Tafseer, under the verse: 'and intercession will not avail aught with Him save of him whom He permits," (34:23), that Abu Al-Abbas al-Mukabbar said:
'A servant of a wife of Ali Ibn Al-Hussain (A),named Abu Ayman, came (to the fifth Imam- (A.S.)) and said: `O Abu Ja'far! You mislead the people, saying intercession of Muhammad, intercession Muhammad.' (Hearing this) Abu Ja'far became so angry that his face took a glowering expression; then he said: `Woe unto you! O Abu Ayman! Are you deluded by chastity of your stomach and genitals? Why, when you will see the terror of resurrection, you shall certainly be in need of intercession of Muhammad. Fie on you! Would he intercede except for him who would have been sentenced to the fire?' (Then) he said: `There is not one from the early people to the later ones but he will need the intercession of Muhammad (S.A.W.) on the Day of Resurrection.' Then again Abu Ja'far said: `Certainly the Messenger of Allah has (authority of) intercession for his Ummah, and we have (authority of) intercession for our Shiites, and our Shiites have (authority of) intercession for their families.' Then he said: And surely a believer shall intercede for (very large numbers of) people like the tribes of Rabi'ah and Mudhar. And surely a believer shall intercede for his servant, saying: "O my Lord! I owe this to him, he protected me from heat and cold.""
5. The (fifth) Imam said about the verse, 'And intercession will not avail aught with Him save him whom He permits:
"No prophet or apostle may intercede until Allah permits him, except the Apostle of Allah; because Allah has already given him permission before the Day of Resurrection; and intercession is (allowed) to him and to the Imams from his progeny, and after that to the prophets." (Tafseer, Al-Qumi)
6. Ali (A.S.)said:
"The Apostle of Allah (S) said: `Three (groups) shall intercede with Allah and their intercession will be accepted: The prophets, then the (religious) scholars, then the martyrs. " (Al-Khisal)
7. Abu Abdillah narrates through his father and grandfather, from Ali (A.S.)that he said:
"The garden has eight gates: one for the entry of prophets and the truthful ones, the other for the martyrs and the good ones; and five gates are for the entry of our Shiites and lovers-I shall be standing on the As-Sirat (the path, the bridge over hell) praying and saying: `My Lord! Save my Shiites and my lovers and my helpers and those who followed me in the (life of the) world.' When all of a sudden there will come a voice from inside the throne: Your prayer is granted and your intercession for your Shiites accepted.' And every Shiite of mine and everyone who loves me, helps me and fights my enemies by (his) deed or word, shall intercede for seventy thousand of his neighbors and relatives; and (there is) a gate from which shall enter all the Muslims who witness that there is no god except Allah and in whose heart there is not an iota of enmity towards us, the people of the cause."
8. Al-Kadhim (A.S.)narrated from his father, through his forefathers, from the Prophet that he said:
"My intercession is for those of my Ummah who would have committed big sins; as for the doers of good, there shall be no difficulty for them." He was asked: "O son of the Messenger of Allah! How can the intercession be for those who have committed big sins; while Allah says, `and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves' (21:28); and a committer of big sins cannot be approved?" He (A.S.)said: "No believer commits a sin but he regrets it and feels ashamed. And the Prophet has said:
Enough is regret as repentance, 'and also he has said: `Whoever is pleased by a good deed and displeased by a bad deed, he is a believer.' Therefore, if there is someone who does not feel remorse for a sin he has committed, he is not a believer, and intercession will not avail him, and he will be an unjust one. And Allah says: `The unjust shall have no true friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed' (40:18)." It was said to him: "O son of the Messenger of Allah! How is it that he who is not sorry for a sin he has committed, he does not remain a believer?" He said: 'Anyone who commits a big sin, knowing that he must be punished for it, will certainly feel remorse for what he has done. And as soon as he is sorry, he is repentant, eligible for intercession. But if he is not sorry, then he is persisting in it, and a persistent (sinner) is not forgiven; because he does not believe in the punishment of what he has done. Has he believed in that punishment he would have been sorry. And the Prophet has said: `No big sin abides with apologizing, and no small sin remains (small) with persistence.' And as for the words of Allah, "and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves, " it means that they do not intercede except for him whose religion He approves. Religion is an acknowledgement that good and bad deeds have to be recompensed. If one's religion were approved, one would feel remorse for the sins one would have committed, because he would know what their result would be on the (Day of) Resurrection." (At-Tawhid)
9. A similar theme is found in a tradition quoted in `Ilalu-Sh-Sharaye' from Abu Ishaq al-Laythi that he said:
`O son of the Messenger of Allah! Tell me about a believer, possessing religious understanding when he reaches (a high point in) knowledge and becomes perfect, does he commit fornication?' He said `By God! No.' I said: `Then does he indulge in sodomy? He said: `By God! No.' I said: `Then does he steal?' He said: 'No.' I said: `Then does he drink intoxicant?' He said: `No.' I said: `Then does he commit any of the big sins or indulge in any of these indecencies?' He said: `No.' I said: `Then does he commit a sin?' He said: `Yes, and he is a believer, sinner, submissive.' I said: `What does submissive mean?' He said: `The submissive (servant) does not persist in it, does not keep doing it..."
10. Al-Ridha (A.S.)narrated through his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah said:
"When the resurrection comes, Allah, Great and Mighty is He, will manifest himself to His believer servant, and will remind him of his sins one by one; then Allah will forgive him; Allah will not let (even) a near angel or an apostle prophet know of his (sin), and will cover it least anyone becomes aware of it. Then He will say to his bad deeds `Be good deeds." (Al-Khis?l)
11. Abu Dharr said:
"The Messenger of Allah (S) said: A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection; and it will be said: "Show him his small sins; and keep back from him his big sins." Then it will be said to him: "You did so and so on such and such a day." And he will go on confessing, while apprehensive of his big sins. Then it will be said: "Give him a good deed in place of every bad deed." Then he will say: "I had done some which I do not see- (mentioned) here. "Abu Dhar said: 'And I saw the Messenger of Allah laughing until his teeth were shown." (Muslim)
12. As-Sadiq (A.S.)said:
"When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah Glorified and Sublime is He, shall spread His mercy until even Iblis will hope for His mercy." (Al-Amali, As-Saduq)