Thursday, July 23, 2026

Evidence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the Intercessor: Hadiths

 

Hadiths 22 & 23:

In these same hadiths, Ibn ‘Abbās, Abū Sa‘īd, and Abū Mūsā (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ) narrate a statement, which is also reported by Aḥmad, Bukhārī, and Muslim from Sayyiduna Anas (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) and by Bukhārī and Muslim from Abū Hurayrah (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ):

إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ دَعْوَةً قَدْ دَعَا بِهَا فِي أُمَّتِهِ وَاسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ

“Every Prophet was granted a special supplication which he made for his Ummah, and it was accepted.”

Alternative wordings of the hadith from other narrators:

Abū Sa‘īd (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) narrates:

لَيْسَ مِنْ نَبِيِّ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أَعْطَى دَعْوَةً فَتَعَجَّلَهَا

“There is no Prophet except that he was granted a special supplication, and he used it in this world.”

Ibn ‘Abbās (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا) narrates:

لَمْ يَبْقَ نَبِيٌّ إِلَّا أَعْطَى سُؤْلَهُ

“No Prophet remained except that he was given his requested supplication.”

Returning to the narration of Anas (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ), the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

وَإِنِّي اخْتَبَأْتُ دَعْوَتِي شَفَاعَةً لِأُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“I have reserved my supplication for the intercession of my Ummah on the Day of Judgement.”

Abū Mūsā (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) adds:

وَجَعَلْتُهَا لِمَنْ مَاتَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي لَا يُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا

“I have kept it for every member of my Ummah who dies without associating anything with Allāh.”

Explanation:

Although all the Prophets (عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ) had their supplications accepted, one special supplication was given to each of them, with an assurance of acceptance. All the Prophets from Adam to ‘Īsā (عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ) used this supplication in this world, but our Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) saved his supplication for the Hereafter.

He said:

“I have kept it for the intercession of my Ummah on the Day of Judgement. I have reserved it for my entire Ummah, every person who leaves this world with faith.”

الله اكبر!

O sinful ones of this Ummah! Have you not witnessed the immense kindness and mercy of your beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)?

He was granted three requests from the Divine Court, where he could ask for anything, and it would be granted. Yet, he did not use a single one for himself; instead, he spent all three for the benefit of his Ummah:

1.      The first two were made in this world for his Ummah.

2.      The third one was reserved for the Hereafter, for the greatest need of his followers, when no one else will be able to help.

On that day, only the Merciful Master and Compassionate Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) will stand as an intercessor for his Ummah.

Indeed, Allah the Most High spoke the truth when He said:

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ ۝

*anxious is he by what you endure, deeply concerned for your wellbeing, exceptionally gracious, merciful to the believers.*¹

By Allāh, the Almighty!

No mother is as compassionate to her beloved only son as he (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) is to each and every member of his Ummah!

O Allah! You know our weakness and inability, and You know the great rights of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) over us.

O Most Powerful! O Most Generous!

Send limitless blessings and peace upon him and his family, in accordance with his immense mercy towards his Ummah, and in accordance with Your immense mercy towards him (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ).

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ!

Yet, how have some members of this Ummah repaid this immense love and mercy of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)?

Some raise doubts about his superiority!

Some limit their praises for him!

Some oppose his veneration and respect!

Some label expressions of love for him as innovations!

Some even declare reverence for him as shirk (associating partners with Allah)!

References

¹ Al-Quran, Al-Tawbah, verse 128; translation from Kanz al-‘Irfān

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return.”

وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ ۝

*Soon the oppressors will come to know to which end they will return.*¹

وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ

“There is no power and no strength except with Allāh, the Most High, the Most Great.”

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه قدر رأفته ورحمته بأمته وقدر رأفتك ورحمتك له. آمين،

O Lord of Truth! Āmīn!”

“O Allāh! Send blessings, peace, and blessings upon him, upon his family, and upon his companions, in proportion to his mercy and compassion for his Ummah, and in proportion to Your mercy and compassion for him. Āmīn, O Lord of Truth! Āmīn!”

Hadith 24:

In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it is narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) that the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِأُمَّتِي، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِأُمَّتِي

O Allāh! Forgive my Ummah. O Allāh! Forgive my Ummah.”

وَأَخَرْتُ الثَّالِثَةَ لِيَوْمٍ يَرْغَبُ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلْقُ حَتَّى إِبْرَاهِيمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ)

“And I have reserved the third supplication for the Day when all of creation, even Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) will seek my help.”

References

¹ Al-Quran, Al-Shu’ara, verse 227; translation from Kanz al-‘Irfān

وَصَلَّى وَسَلَّمَ وَبَارِكَ عَلَيْهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“O Allah! Send blessings, peace, and blessings upon him, and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.”

Hadith 25:

Bayhaqī narrates from Abū Hurayrah (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) that on the Night of Ascension (Isr’ā), the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said to his Lord:

“You have granted the Prophets (عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ) various merits.”

Then, the Majestic Lord replied:

أَعْطَيْتُكَ خَيْرًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ: - إِلَى قَوْلِهِ - : حَبَأْتُ شَفَاعَتَكَ وَلَمْ أَحْبَأْهَا النَّبِيَّ غَيْرَكَ

“I have granted you something better than all of that, I have reserved intercession for you, and I have not granted this to any other Prophet.”

Hadith 26:

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Tirmidhī (who authenticated it), Ibn Mājah, and Ḥākim (who declared it Ṣaḥīḥ) narrate from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) that the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ كُنْتُ إِمَامَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَخَطِيبَهُمْ وَصَاحِبَ شَفَاعَتِهِمْ وَغَيْرُ فَخْرٍ

“On the Day of Judgement, I will be the leader of the Prophets, their orator, and the one with the right to intercede for them, and this is not out of pride.”

Hadiths 27–40:

Ibn Man ‘Īnarrates from Zayd ibn Arqam (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) and fourteen other Companions (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ) that the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

شَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَقٌّ فَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِهَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا

“My intercession on the Day of Judgement is true, and whoever does not believe in it will not be eligible for it.”

A denier should look at this mutawātir (mass-transmitted) hadith, have mercy on himself, and believe in the intercession of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ).

Supplication for Intercession:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ هَدَيْتَنَا فَآمَنَّا بِشَفَاعَةِ حَبِيبِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ يَا أَهْلَ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ وَاجْعَلْ أَشْرَفَ صَلَوَاتِكَ وَأَنْمَى بَرَكَاتِكَ وَأَزْكَى تَحِيَّاتِكَ عَلَى هَذَا الْحَبِيبِ الْمُجْتَبَى وَالشَّفِيعِ الْمُرْتَجَى وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا، آمِينَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“O Allāh! You know that You have guided us, and we have believed in the intercession of Your beloved Muhammad (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). So make us worthy of it in this world and the Hereafter, O Possessor of Taqwā and Forgiveness! Send the noblest of Your blessings, the most abundant of Your Barakah, and the purest of Your greetings upon this chosen beloved, the expected intercessor, and upon his family and companions forever.

Ameen, O Most Merciful of the Merciful! And all praise belongs to Allāh, the Lord of all worlds.”

Translator's Dua:

May Allāh Almighty Shower His Endless Mercy and Blessings upon Imām e ‘Ishq o Mahabbat, Muhsin e Ahl e Sunnat, Qaaṭi e Najdiyyat, Māhiy e Bid‘at, Ālim e Shar‘īat, Mujadid e Deen o Millat, Hazrat Allāhama Mawlānā Al-Hafiz Al-Qāri Ash-Shah Imam Aḥmad Raza Khān Muhaddith e Bareli نور الله مرقد ونفعنا الله به.

آمِينَ بِجَاهِ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

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