The spiritual relation of the angel with man41 is one of prompting to noble and virtuous deeds, and hence the angels’ intercession is in connection with those who have done some sort of good, whether they be believers in a prophet or not. And this intercession takes the form of a prayer that mercy and forgiveness be shown by God to His creatures.
Divine mercy is also manifested through the prophets, and this is the intercession (shafā‘at) of the prophets. It is a mistake to suppose that it will be exercised only on the Day of Judgment; nor is it limited to the prayers of forgiveness for the dead.42 The prophet’s intercession is witnessed in the change he brings about in the life of a people, in delivering them from the bondage of evil, and setting them on the road to advancement. Thus it is stated that the Holy Prophet Muḥammad was raised so that he might purify the people,43 and the miraculous purification of Arabia and its advancement, physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual, is the clearest evidence of the success of his intercession (shafā‘at). He prayed incessantly for the well-being of his followers, and his prayer is said to be “a relief ” to those for whom he prayed.44 He is also commanded to seek God’s protection for them,45 and this was clearly, as in the case of angels, intercession on their behalf.
The intercession of the believers is of a similar nature. The believers who are on a higher spiritual plane help those who are on a lower level, by their example and by their prayer. Intercession by example is clearly spoken of in the Qurān: Whoever intercedes (yashfa ‘) in a good cause (shafa‘at-an hasanat-an) has a share of it” (4:85). The original word used here is shafā‘at, and the meaning is that when a man sets a good example which others follow and benefit thereby, he is rewarded for it.
It is clear from the above that the doctrine of intercession (shafā‘at) in Islām is really meant to give expression to the boundless mercy of the Divine Being. This shafā‘at is exercised, in the first instance, in this
41 See chapter on Angels.
42 In the article on Shafā‘at in the Encyclopaedia of Islām we have: “But it should be noted that the Holy Prophet even in his lifetime is said to have made intercession. ‘Ā’ishah relates that he often slipped quietly from her side at night to go to the cemetery of Baqī‘al-Gharqad to beseech forgiveness of Allāh for the dead … Similarly his istighfār is mentioned in the ṣalāt al-janā’iz … and its efficacy explained … The prayer for the forgiveness of sins then became or remained an integral part of this ṣalāt … to which a high degree of importance was attributed.”
43 See 2:151. The Arabic word for purification is yuzakkī, derived from zakā whereof the original meaning is the progress attained by Divine blessing (R).
44 9:103.