سورة الشعراء

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any loyal friend]; by 'intercessors' is meant the Imams (peace be upon them), and by 'loyal friend' is meant the believers.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman ibn Khalid said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any loyal friend]. He said, "By 'sadiq' is meant knowledge, and by 'hamim' is meant a relative."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): By Allah, we intercede for our Shia until people say: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any loyal friend] ... فَنَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ [that we might be among the believers].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This verse was revealed concerning us and our Shia, and Allah gives preference to us and our Shia, for we and they will have permission to intercede; and whenever someone other than our Shia sees this, he will say: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَ لَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any loyal friend].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah granted intercession to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) for his ummah, and granted us intercession for our Shia, and our Shia can intercede for their own relatives. The noble verse فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ [So we have no intercessors] refers to precisely this. By Allah, we intercede for our Shia to such an extent that our enemies say, "فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ [So we have no intercessors]." Then he said: By Allah! Our Shia intercede for their relatives to such an extent that our enemies say وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [nor any loyal friend].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Jabir said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), "May I be your ransom, O son of the Messenger of Allah! Tell me a hadith about the excellence of your grandmother Fatima (peace be upon her), so that when I relate it to your Shia they may rejoice." Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) said: When the Day of Judgment arrives ... the Merciful Allah will say, 'O people of the Gathering! I have set aside honor for Muhammad, Ali, Hasan, Husayn and Fatima (peace be upon them). O people of the Gathering! Lower your heads and close your eyes, so that Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) may pass towards Paradise.' At that moment Jibra'il brings a she-camel from Paradise for that lady, its two flanks adorned with heavenly brocade, its halter of moist pearls, its saddle of coral; the she-camel is made to kneel and Fatima (peace be upon her) mounts it. Then the Merciful Allah sends a hundred thousand angels to be on the lady's right, and sends another hundred thousand angels to be on her left, and sends yet another hundred thousand angels to carry Fatima (peace be upon her) on their wings towards Paradise. When they reach the gate of Paradise, Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) will turn to look behind her, and it will be said to her, 'O daughter of My beloved! Why do you look behind you, when I have already commanded that you enter My Paradise?' Fatima will say, 'My Lord! I wished that my worth and standing be made known on such a day as this.' Allah will say, 'O daughter of My beloved! Turn back and see: whoever holds love for you or for any of your children in his heart, take him by the hand and bring him into Paradise.'" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "O Jabir, by Allah, on that day Fatima (peace be upon her) picks out her Shia from among the people of the Gathering and saves them, the way a bird picks out the good grains from among the worthless ones." When she and her Shia reach the gate of Paradise, Allah casts into the hearts of Fatima's Shia the urge to look behind them; when they look behind, the Merciful Allah will say, "O My beloved ones! Why do you look behind you, when I have already accepted Fatima's, My beloved's daughter, intercession on your behalf?" They will say, "Our Lord, we wished that our worth and importance be made known on such a day as this." Allah will say, "O My beloved ones, turn back, and whoever loved you for love of Fatima, whoever fed you for love of Fatima, whoever clothed your body for love of Fatima, whoever gave you a drink of water for love of Fatima, whoever defended you in your absence for love of Fatima, take him by the hand and bring him into Paradise."" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "By Allah, of those people none will remain except the doubter, the disbeliever, and the hypocrite. When they, that is the disbelievers, come among the ranks of people, as Allah says: We have no intercessor and no loyal friend; would that we had another turn, that we might be among the believers. (Shu'ara/102-101)." Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "Far from it, far from it! They will be denied what they seek; and if they were sent back, they would return to that very thing they were forbidden; indeed they are liars. (An'am/28)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zurara said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said, "O Zurara, nothing is more beloved to Allah than an eye that weeps for Husayn (peace be upon him), and a tear shed for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him). No one weeps for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) except that he will reach Fatima (peace be upon her) and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and fulfil our right ... Every servant will be gathered on the morrow of Resurrection with weeping eyes, except the eye that wept for my grandfather Husayn. For he will be gathered while his eyes are lit up by the beauty of Muhammad and his pure family (peace be upon them). He will be given glad tidings, and signs of joy will be on his face. People on that day are overcome with terror and panic, except those who wept for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), who will be secure. People on that day are presented for the reckoning, but those ones converse with Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) in the shade of the Throne, and have no fear of a harsh reckoning. It will be said to them: Enter Paradise, but they will refuse, choosing instead the gathering of speaking with Imam Husayn (peace be upon him). The houris will be sent to them, saying: We and these immortal youths long for you. But they will not raise their heads toward the houris, on account of the joy and honor they see in the gathering of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him). But a group of their enemies will have faces struck by the Fire of Hell, and another group will say: We have no intercessor and no loyal friend. They will see the dwelling and abode of these people but will have no power to draw near them or reach them."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): [Part of the supplication after the prayer on the day of Mubahala, the twenty-fourth of Dhul-Hijjah]: O Allah! We have held fast to Your Book and to the household of Your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), those whom You appointed as our guide and sign, and commanded us to follow. O Allah! We have held fast to them, so grant us as our provision their intercession on the day when the losers will say: فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any loyal friend].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah places us in charge of our Shia's reckoning. Whatever we ask Allah on their behalf, Allah grants them through us; whatever blessing is for us is for them. Then Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) recited this verse: Indeed to Us is their return, then indeed upon Us is their reckoning! (Ghashiyah/2625)

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Muhammad, son of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), narrates from his father, from his grandfather, that he said: "When the Resurrection is established, Allah entrusts us with the authority over the reckoning of our Shia. Whatever pertains to Allah, we ask Him to grant it to us [on their behalf]; and whatever pertains to the people, we ask that they be given in exchange for the right they hold, so that the Shia may be released; and whatever pertains to us ourselves, we grant to them." Then he recited this verse: Indeed to Us is their return, then indeed upon Us is their reckoning! (Ghashiyah/2625). At the end he said the Shia are with us wherever we are.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When Allah gathers the people [on the Day of Judgment] on one side of the plain of Resurrection for the reckoning, He delays our Shia for a rigorous reckoning; we, the Ahl al-Bayt, say, "O Allah! These are our Shia"; at this, Allah the Exalted says, "I have entrusted their affair to you, and I have accepted your intercession regarding them, and I have forgiven their sinners, so admit them into Paradise without any reckoning."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): On the Day of Judgment, a believer intercedes for his family, and his intercession for them is accepted, until [only] his servant remains; then, raising his two index fingers, he says, 'My Lord! My servant protected me [in the world] from heat and cold'; as a result, his intercession for him too is accepted.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Intercession [regarding him] is accepted; but regarding the Nasibi of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) it is not accepted. And the believer intercedes for his neighbour even if he has no good deed or virtue, and he says: 'O my Lord! My neighbour used to prevent harm from reaching me,' and thus he becomes his intercessor; and Allah the Blessed and Exalted says: 'I am your Lord and I am more worthy than anyone to reward you on your behalf.' Then He admits him into Paradise while he has no good deed. And the lowest degree of the believers' intercession is the right to intercede for thirty persons, and at that moment the people of the Fire say: فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ * وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any devoted friend].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In the book Qada' al-Huquq of al-Suri, it is narrated with its chain: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked, 'Why is a believer called mu'min (believer)?' He said: 'A name from the names of Allah was chosen for him and he was called mu'min, because he is safe from the punishment of Allah, and on the Day of Resurrection he grants safety to others and his grant of safety is accepted. The believer, if he eats or drinks, or stands somewhere or sits, or sleeps, or has intercourse, or passes by an impure place, Allah purifies seven layers of the earth and nothing of the impurity reaches him.' The believer on the Day of Resurrection is together with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) at the gathering-place, and he passes by one who is angry — except a Nasibi, and except a believer who has committed major sins — and he sees his lofty station with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, while he had known that believer in the world and had fulfilled his needs. That believer rises, and relying upon Allah the Mighty and Majestic and by His grace, introduces that person and says: 'O my Lord, grant me this servant of Yours, so-and-so son of so-and-so.' And Allah accepts his intercession. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: 'Allah has related their story, of what they say, in the Quran: So we have no intercessors from among the prophets, nor any devoted friend from among the neighbours and acquaintances, and when they despair of an intercessor, those who are not believers say: If only we could return [to the world] once more and be among the believers.' (Ash-Shu'ara / 100-102)

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abd al-Hamid al-Wabishi said: I said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): 'We have a neighbour who does not observe the sanctity of any of the forbidden things, to the extent that he abandons prayer, let alone the rest.' He said: 'Glory be to Allah — shall I inform you of one who is worse than him?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'One who bears hatred for us is worse than him. Know that there is no servant before whom the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) are mentioned and whose heart softens at our remembrance, except that the angels stroke their hand on his back and forgive him all his sins, unless he commits a sin that takes him out of faith. And intercession [regarding him] is accepted; but regarding the Nasibi of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) it is not accepted. And the believer intercedes for his neighbour even if he has no good deed or virtue.' And he says: 'O my Lord! My neighbour used to prevent harm from reaching me,' and thus he becomes his intercessor; and Allah the Blessed and Exalted says: 'I am your Lord and I am more worthy than anyone to reward you on your behalf.' Then He admits him into Paradise while he has no good deed. And the lowest degree of the believers' intercession is the right to intercede for thirty persons, and at that moment the people of the Fire say: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any devoted friend].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Abd al-Malik narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'O Fadl! Do not turn away from the poor of our Shia, for indeed each poor one among them will, on the Day of Resurrection, intercede for the like of the tribes of Rabi'a and Mudar. O Fadl! The believer is called mu'min because, with Allah's confirmation, he grants safety to others, and Allah permits his granting of safety.' Then he said: 'Have you not heard this saying of Allah, which in fact relates the state of your enemies, when they see that each one of you on the Day of Resurrection intercedes for his friend, which says: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any devoted friend].'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah is Compassionate and Merciful towards His servants, and it is of His mercy that He has created one hundred mercies and placed one of them among all His servants, by means of which people are kind to one another, a mother shows affection to her child, and animal mothers show love to their young. And when the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah adds this mercy to the other ninety-nine parts, and with all of it He encompasses the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in His mercy. Then He accepts their intercession for whomever they wish from the Muslim community, to the point that one person comes to a believer from the Shia and says to him: 'Intercede for me!' That believer says: 'What right do you have upon me?' He replies: 'One day I gave you water to drink'; the believer recalls that day and intercedes for him, and his intercession is accepted. Another comes to him and says: 'I have a right upon you, intercede for me!' The believer says: 'What right do you have upon me?' He replies: 'On a hot day, you sat for an hour in the shade of my [house's] wall'; the believer intercedes for him and his intercession is accepted. And he continues to intercede such that his intercession is accepted regarding his neighbours, friends and acquaintances, for indeed the believer is more honoured with Allah than you imagine.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Husayn ibn Salih said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: "A friend is so great in rank that the people of Hellfire seek help from him and call upon him in the Fire before their close kin. Allah has informed of them and said: فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ* وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any close friend]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Jabir (ibn Abd Allah) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: "A man will say in Paradise: 'What has become of my friend so-and-so?' while his friend is in Hell. Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will say: 'Bring his friend out to Paradise.' Then those who remain in the Fire, upon witnessing this scene, will say: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor any close friend]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Pay attention to your brothers, for they will be of benefit to you in this world and the next. Have you not heard that Allah says: فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor a true friend]?

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever has a sincere friend will not be punished. Do you not see how Allah describes the state of the people of Hell: فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِینَ * وَلَا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor a true friend]?

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Increase your friends in this world, for they are of benefit in this world and the next. In this world, meeting your needs depends on them. But in the next world, the people of Hell say: فَما لَنا مِنْ شافِعِینَ وَ لا صَدِیقٍ حَمِیمٍ [So we have no intercessors, nor a true friend].