سورة غافر

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): That is the day on which people will all be gathered together, and that is a day [when all things] are made manifest [and people will plainly see all their own deeds and their recompense]. On that day Allah the Mighty and Majestic will gather the first and the last — a day when the trumpet will be blown and the graves will be overturned [and whoever is in them will come forth]. This is the Day of Resurrection, when hearts choke in the throats and souls reach the lips and breath is held back. That is a day on which no slip is overlooked, no ransom is accepted from anyone in place of punishment, and no excuse is heard from anyone.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): [The meaning of] وَ أَنْذِرْهُمْ یَوْمَ الْآزِفَةِ [And warn them of the day that draws near] is the Day of Resurrection. إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَی الحَناجِرِ کاظِمِینَ [when hearts shall rise up to the throats, grieving inwardly] means sorrowful and grief-stricken. مَا لِلظَّالِمِینَ مِنْ حَمِیمٍ وَ لا شَفِیعٍ یُطاعُ [the unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed] means that the wrongdoers will not be awaiting anyone whose intercession would be accepted.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): A time will come upon the people in which the sunnah is killed and innovation is brought to life, so much so that the sunnahs die and innovations come alive. And after that — by Allah — nothing has destroyed the people and cut their hand from the skirt of their proofs except the evil scholars, who sit on the road of the hereafter and prevent people from travelling upon it and turn them away from it. The likeness of this is the likeness of a thirsty man who sees a jar full of water and intends to drink from it. Then a man says to him: "Do not put your hand into this jar of water, for inside it is a viper that will bite you, and it has filled the jar with poison." So he prevents the man from drinking the water. Then the very same man who gave the news about the viper puts his own hand into the jar of water. The thirsty man says: "If there is poison in this vessel of water, why does he himself put his hand into the vessel of water?" And such is the state of the people with the evil scholars, who urge the people to renounce the world, yet themselves incline toward it, and who prevent the people from going to the courts of the rulers and paying them respect, yet themselves go to the courts of the rulers and abase themselves and praise and eulogise them and applaud their deeds and promise them safety. And beyond this they say: "We have seen great dreams for you — that you dwell in palaces towering to the sky, that you hold lofty ranks, and that your deeds are accepted by Allah and pleasing to Him." With such words they deceive them. But they have forgotten the word of Allah the Exalted, who says: "Indeed the righteous shall be in bliss, and indeed the wicked shall be in the Blazing Fire" (Infitar/13-14). And He said: مَا لِلظَّالِمِینَ مِنْ حَمِیمٍ وَ لَا شَفِیعٍ یُطَاعُ [The unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Qur'an — its outward is beautiful and its inward is a deep, endless sea of realities. Its wonders do not perish, and its difficulties and secrets do not come to an end. Darknesses are not removed except through the Qur'an. So reflect, and refrain from evils by the command of Allah the Exalted, who says: وَ أَنْذِرْهُمْ یَوْمَ الْآزِفَةِ إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَی الحَناجِرِ کاظِمِینَ ما لِلظَّالِمِینَ مِنْ حَمِیمٍ وَ لا شَفِیعٍ یُطاعُ [And warn them of the day that draws near, when hearts shall rise up to the throats, grieving inwardly; the unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed]. Beware.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr said: I said to Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): 'O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), how can there be intercession for those who commit the major sins, while Allah the Exalted says: "They do not intercede except for the one with whom Allah is pleased [for intercession on his behalf], and they are apprehensive from fear of Him" (Anbiya/28)? And whoever commits the major sins is not pleasing.' The Imam said: 'O Abu Ahmad! There is no believer who commits a sin except that it grieves him and he regrets it. And the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Regret is enough as repentance." And he (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever is gladdened by his good deed and grieved by his bad deed is a believer." So whoever does not regret a sin he commits is not a believer, and intercession is not obligatory for him, and he will be a wrongdoer. And Allah the Exalted says: ما لِلظَّالِمِینَ مِنْ حَمِیمٍ وَ لا شَفِیعٍ یُطاع [The unjust shall not have any compassionate friend nor any intercessor who should be obeyed].'

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): ما لِلظَّالِمینَ مِنْ حَمیمٍ [The unjust shall not have any compassionate friend] — meaning the polytheists and the hypocrites have no close friend who could benefit them. وَ لا شَفیعٍ یُطاعُ [nor any intercessor who should be obeyed] — and they have no intercessor who would be obeyed and whose intercession would be accepted concerning them.