The intercession of The Noble Prophet ﷺ

Sayyiduna Ma`bad bin Hilal Al-`Anzi radiAllahu anhu narrates: We, i.e., some people from Basra gathered and went to Sayyidunan Anas b. Malik radiAllahu anhu, and we went in company with Sayyiduna Thabit Al-Bunnani radiAllahu anhu so that he might ask him about the Hadith of Intercession on our behalf.

Behold, Sayyiduna Anas radiAllahu anhu was in his palace, and our arrival coincided with his Duha prayer. We asked permission to enter and he admitted us while he was sitting on his bed. We said to Thabit, “Do not ask him about anything else first but the Hadith of Intercession.” He said, “O Abu Hamza! There are your brethren from Basra coming to ask you about the Hadith of Intercession.”

Sayyiduna Anas radiAllahu anhu then said, “Sayyiduna Rasulullah ﷺ informed us, ‘On the Day of Resurrection the people will surge with each other like waves, and then they will come to Adam and say, ‘Please intercede for us with your Lord.’ He will say, ‘I am not the one for that but you’d better go to Sayyiduna Ibrahim alayhi salaam as he is the Khalil (Friend) of the Beneficent (Allah).’

They will go to Sayyiduna Ibrahim alayhi Salaam and he will say, ‘I am not the one for that, but you’d better go to Sayyiduna Musa alayhi salaam as he is the one to whom Allah spoke directly.’ So they will go to  Sayyiduna Musa alayhi salaam and he will say, ‘I am not the one for that, but you’d better go to Sayyiduna Isa alayhis salaam as he is a soul created by Allah and His Word.’ (Be: And it was) they will go to Sayyiduna Isa alayhi salaam and he will say, ‘I am not the one for that, but you’d better go to Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ.’

They will come to me and I will say, ‘I am the one for it.’ Then I will ask for my Lord’s permission, and it will be given, and then He will inspire me to praise Him with such praises as none knows. So I will praise Him with those praises and will fall down, prostrate before Him. Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to; and ask, for your will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’

I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers! My followers!‘ And then it will be said, ‘Go and take out of Hell (Fire) all those who have faith in their hearts, equal to the weight of a barley grain.’ I will go and do so and return to praise Him with the same praises, and fall down (prostrate) before Him. Then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.‘ I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers! My followers!’ It will be said, ‘Go and take out of it all those who have faith in their hearts equal to the weight of a small ant or a mustard seed.‘ I will go and do so and return to praise Him with the same praises, and fall down in prostration before Him. It will be said, ‘O, Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will say, ‘O Lord, my followers!’ Then He will say, ‘Go and take out (all those) in whose hearts there is faith even to the lightest, lightest mustard seed. (Take them) out of the Fire.’ I will go and do so.”‘

When we left Sayyiduna Anas radiAllahu anhu, I said to some of my companions, “Let’s pass by Sayyiduna Al-Hasan radiAllahu anhu who has secluded himself in the house of Abi Khalifa and request him to tell us what Sayyiduna Anas b. Malik radiAllahu anhu has told us.”

So we went to him and we greeted him and he admitted us. We said to him, “O Abu Sa`id! We came to you from your brother Sayyiduna Anas b. Malik radiAllahu anhu and he related to us a Hadith about the intercession the like of which I have never heard.” He said, “What is that?” Then we told him of the Hadith and said, “He stopped at this point (of the Hadith).” He said, “What then?” We said, “He did not add anything to that.” He said, Sayyidunan Anas radiAllahu anhu related this Hadith to me twenty years ago when he was a young fellow. I don’t know whether he forgot or if he did not like to let you depend on what he might have said.” We said, “O Abu Sa`id! Let us know that.”

He smiled and said, “Man was created hasty. I did not mention that, but that I wanted to inform you of it. Sayyiduna Anas radiAllahu anhu told me the same as he told you and said that the Prophet (ﷺ) added, ‘I then return for a fourth time and praise Him similarly and prostrate before Him me the same as he ‘O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to; and ask, for you will be granted (your request): and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted .’ I will say, ‘O Lord, allow me to intercede for whoever said, ‘None has the right to be worshiped except Allah.’ Then Allah will say, ‘By my Power, and my Majesty, and by My Supremacy, and by My Greatness, I will take out of Hell (Fire) whoever said: ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah.’ ” 

As reported by Imam Bukhari in his Sahih, Hadith 7510

Sahih al Bukhari, Chapter on The Talk of the Lord عزّ وجلّ to the Prophets and others on the Day of Resurrection