The Intercession

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Intercession (2)

‘Abdullah ibn Hamoud al-Furaih


Formation, clarification and explanation (1):
In those eras when there is worry and sorrow on the land of gathering, will people drink from the (water) basin of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?
This is a disputed question. The discussion of the basin in detail will follow. I have presented this question specifically because this space is suitable for the sequential order (of events). The way that this question regarding the ******** of the basin; where will it be?

In the Hadith of Sahl ibn Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I shall go to the Cistern before you and he who comes would drink and he who drinks would never feel thirsty, and there would come to me people whom I would know and who would know me. Then there would be intervention between me and them.”[1]

The Hadith of Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him); the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I shall be there at the Cistern before you.”[2]

The discussion of this issue is lengthy. The details of some of the things will follow with the grace of Allah Almighty.

For the answer to this issue it is said:
Firstly: there is no dispute that Paradise has a basin called Kauthar as will follow with evidence

Secondly: there is no dispute that before Paradise, there is another basin that the Muslims will drink from

Thirdly: the dispute is regarding the ******** of the basin that is before Paradise because there is no clear evidence regarding its ********

They have disputed on two sayings:
The first saying: the reckoning are on the land of gathering when the people reach (the level of) sorrow, worry and thirst that they cannot handle. Al Qurtubi chose it (the opinion) and Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with them)[3]

The second saying: after the Sirat before entering Paradise. This has been chosen by Al Bukhari in his classification. Leaning towards (his opinion) is Ibn Hajar in explaining Fatah Al Bari[4], may Allah be pleased with them.


[1] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (6583). Narrated by Muslim number (2290)

[2] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (6589). Narrated by Muslim number (2289). Farrat: that is the one who gives water at the basin

[3] Look at: At-Tadhkirah by Al Qurtubi (page 362). Look at: Al Nihaya by Ibn Katheer (2/3)

[4] Look at: Fatah Al Bari (11/466)

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Intercession (3)

‘Abdullah ibn Hamoud al-Furaih


Know that choosing them (may Allah be pleased with them) is built on understand the documents, not on guessing and what the mind imagines –may Allah protect us from thinking that about them. What is their explanation of the weighing; may Allah Almighty be pleased with them?

The companions of the first opinion chose: it is before the Sirat and reckoning because of two reasons:
The first of them: the wisdom in having a basin is what our Prophet (peace be upon him) made reference to “Whoever drinks (from it) will never be thirsty.” People will come out of their graves thirsty. Nonetheless when they are gathered at the moment; barefoot, naked and uncircumcised with the sun lowered. They are filled with worry, sorrow and sweat. The basin is what they need at this situation. Allah Almighty honours them by drinking from the basin of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He is the one who will reach his basin (peace be upon him) –we ask Allah for his permission (for this). However whoever is a monotheist believer; the Prophet (peace be upon him) will allow him to drink (from it) and if he drinks from it he will never be thirsty throughout the situation or before it as he would not be worried about.

What a happiness it is for the one who the pure (peace be upon him) allows to drink, so he drinks from his basin. It (drinking from the basin) distances his thirst from that long, horrible situation. It distances all thirst until he enters the Enduring Home…we ask Allah Almighty for His great permission.

The second of them: in the Hadith, there is an indication that there will be people distanced from the basin and kept away because they innovated in the religion and changed so they were not on the Sunnah of Mohammed (peace be upon him). Among them will be the hypocrites as they will be turned away from the basin. If it is said that the basin is after the Sirat, then it would include those hypocrites who were turned away from the basin because after the Sirat there is the qantara and then Paradise. It is not possible to cross the Sirat unless (the person is) a believer. As for the hypocrites and disbelievers, they will fall into the Hellfire. It is necessary from that to say that the basin is before the Sirat so that it corrects (the issue of) the hypocrites being turned away at the basin.

The community of the second statement have emphasized their choice that it is after the Sirat for (other) issues, the strongest of their sayings: it has been proven in the Hadith that whoever drinks from the basin will never be thirsty again

They said: if it is before the Sirat, then we will fall into doubt. That is: the ones who cross the Sirat are the sinful monotheist believers. There is no doubt that there are sinful monotheist believers who will enter the fire. What is important to us is that there are among the Muslims those who will enter the fire. If it was destined that those sinners will drink from the basin before the Sirat, then how will we bring together (the statement) that they will never be thirsty and their thirst in the Hellfire that those who are punished in the fire will receive?

So that you can get out of this doubt, there is no doubt that we should say: that the basin is after the Sirat.

May Allah Almighty be pleased with them. Their hearts were peaceful and enlightened with knowledge. Smartness is the Proof to the citizen. Each of the two sayings has an argument. The first saying (is stronger). Allah knows best

It is possible to discuss the explanation of the second saying with saying mentioned by the people of knowledge.

The strongest of them: that it is not forbidden to punish a sinful monotheist believer in the fire with types of punishment other than thirst as an honouring for their monotheism and as a distinction between them and the disbelievers and hypocrites.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Intercession (4)

‘Abdullah ibn Hamoud al-Furaih


It is also said to them: how can we bring together between (the situation) that it is after the Sirat and there are those who changed the religion of Allah Almighty so they were forbidden from drinking from the basin?

This does not suit communities that have crossed the Sirat and will approach the luxury of Paradise that has what they desire and pleases their eyes, so the basin is before the Sirat. For this argument there are view points.

Our Sheikh Ibn Al Othaimeen (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) has chosen that the basin is repeated in two situations. He said: “The one who drinks from it will never be thirsty after it again.” What preceded was that it will be in the areas of the Day of Resurrection. It is mentioned in a Hadith that they will drink after the Sirat. Meaning: after they cross over the Sirat. In this there is no discrepancy because it has been proven that the one who drinks from it once will never be thirsty after it again. (This) drink will be after the Sirat either for a simple thirst that does not have difficulty because they cross over the fire that is hot or because they will drink from it (the basin) for taste, not for thirst. On that they are in the areas of the Day of Resurrection and likewise after crossing over the Sirat. What is more important is that those are in the areas of the Day of Resurrection because the people will be suffering from thirst and great (hardship) because the sun will be at a distance of a mile (away from them). They will be thirsty and needing to drink from this basin.

Woe to you! Woe to you to withhold the thirsty from this basin. The Prophet (peace be upon him) promised the Ansar the basin if they are patient with the tyranny of a leader. He said: “After me, you will be met by tyranny.” Meaning: a tyranny upon you. “Be patient until you meet me; our meeting will be at the basin.”

Because of that, it is requested that the one who is patient with their leader and their tyranny to reap the likes of this promise from the Prophet (peace be upon him) because there is a rule that states: the sharia and penalty rules are not connected only to individuals but with their character, knowledge and deeds. There is no sharia leadership or tyranny connected to a specific individual but with his character and knowledge. This is the ordained justice of Allah Almighty because Allah does not have favouritism between Him and His slaves. We can even say: maybe someone can favour another. People might favour a specific person in judging (them) that deals with them specifically because of their closeness or friendship. But Allah Almighty:

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ}{

“He neither begets nor is born” [Surah Al Ikhlas: 3]
He never gives favouritism to anyone[1]


[1] Look at: his explanation of Al Aqeeda Al Sifariya, chapter 4, paragraph number (117)

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Intercession (5)

‘Abdullah ibn Hamoud al-Furaih


Formation, clarification and explanation (2):
The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that preceded in which there is an explanation of the situation at that situation and their request for intercession. It came in many narrations and similar Hadiths. The appearance of the intercession in the Hadiths overlap. For example, it came in this Hadith in the two Sahih from the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) also. In it there are these additions:

“I would fall down in prostration, and He (Allah) would leave me thus as long as He would wish, and then it would be said: O Muhammad, raise your head, say and you would be heard; ask and it would be granted; intercede and intercession would be accepted. Then I would raise my head and extrol my Lord with the praise which my Lord would teach me. I shall then intercede, but a limit would be set for me I would bring them out from the Fire and make them enter Paradise (according to the limit). I shall return then ard fall down in pros- tration and Allah would leave me (in that position) as long as He would wish to leave me it would be said: Rise, O Muhammad, say and you would be heard; ask and it would be conferred; intercede and intercession would be granted. I would raise my head and extrol my Lord with praise that He would teach me. I would theft intercede and a limit would be set for me. I would bring them out of the Fire (of Hell) and make them enter Paradise..”

In it (the Hadith): “I do not remember whether he (the Holy Prophet) said at the third time or at the fourth time: O my Lord, none has been left in the Fire, but thise restrained by the Holy Qur'an, i e. those who were eternally doomed.”

In it: it is mentioned the fourth time: “O my Lord, none has been left in the Fire, but thise restrained by the Holy Qur'an, i e. those who were eternally doomed. Meaning: They must have intercession”[1]

Al Bukhari adds: “Then he recites the verses:

}عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا{

“It may be that your Lord will raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory”

He said: This is the Station of Praise and Glory which Allah has promised to your Prophet.[2]

In the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah and Huzaifa (may Allah be pleased with them): “They would come to Muhammad (peace be upon him). He would then be permitted (to open the door of Paradise). Trustworthiness and kinship would be despatched, and these would stand on the right and left of the Path and the first of you would pass with (the swiftness) of lightning…”[3]

In Al Bukhari there is the Hadith of Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with them): “On the Day of Resurrection the people will fall on their knees and every nation will follow their prophet and they will say, "O so-and-so! Intercede (for us with Allah), "till (the right) intercession is given to the Prophet (Muhammad) and that will be the day when Allah will raise him into a station of praise and glory (i.e. Al-Maqam -al-Mahmud).”[4]

Muslim narrated the Hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I would be the first among people to intercede in the Paradise and amongst the apostles I would have the largest following (on the Day of Resurrection).”[5]

In the two Sahih there is the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There was for every apostle a prayer with which he prayed for his Ummah and it was granted to him; but I wish, if Allah so wills, to defer my prayer for the intercession of my Ummah on the Day of Resurrection.”[6]

Muslim (also narrates) in a narration): “it would be granted, if Allah so willed, in case of everyone amongst my Ummah provided he dies without associating anything with Allah”[7]

Besides this (there is a) Hadith in the two Sahih of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)[8] and for Muslim besides it of Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him)[9]

If you ponder upon these narrations and others that we mentioned, you will find that the intercession at the start of the Hadith is for the people at the position and what has reached them from worry and sorrow. The Prophet (peace be upon him) intercedes for them in order to relieve them of their sorrows and because of the coming of judgement and reckoning. At the end of these Hadiths there is an intercession for the people of Paradise to enter Paradise. Likewise there is an intercession to relieve the monotheists, taking them out of the fire and (putting them) in Paradise.


[1] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (7510). Narrated by Muslim number (193)

[2] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (7440)

[3] Narrated by Muslim number (195)

[4] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (4718)

[5] Narrated by Muslim number (196)

[6] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (6304). Narrated by Muslim number (199)

[7] Narrated by Muslim number (199)

[8] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (6305). Narrated by Muslim number (200)

[9] Look at: Sharh Al Tahawiya (page 255)