Does the Qur'an forbid intercession & calling unto the Dead?

The discussion of intercession in the Qur'an is often misunderstood due to various misconceptions. First, there are many verses that are interpreted as indicating the impermissibility of seeking intercession. Second, there are verses that are seen as negating the permissibility of "calling" upon anyone besides Allah (swt). In light of these kinds of verses, we aim to provide a detailed response, addressing both categories to demonstrate how these practices align with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an.

1. First set of verses: Do not call upon besides Allah

2. Second set of verses: There will be no intercessors

3. Third set of verses: Only Allah can help us

While this article will primarily focus on the concept of intercession, the ability of the dead to hear may be briefly mentioned where relevant to the discussion.

First set of verses: Do not call upon besides Allah

The most common set of verses used to excommunicate the validity of tawassul, is the fact that Allah (swt) has said all over the Qur'an to not call upon anyone besides Him. Such a command is unconditional, and most certainly cannot have exceptions. In fact, to call upon besides Allah (swt) is unquestionably an act of polytheism (shirk), so then how do the Shi'a justify their practices wherein they call upon Ali, Hasan, Husayn and so on?

The answer to this issue lies in analysing these verses and what meaning they intend to convey, what is Allah (swt) actually prohibiting when He says 'do not call on besides Me'? In fact, what does it mean to 'call upon someone'? Let us take a look at an example:

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسۡتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَىۡءٍ إِلَّا كَبَٰسِطِ كَفَّيۡهِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَآءِ لِيَبۡلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَٰلِغِهِۦۚ

Those they call upon besides Him give them no answer any more than water reaches the mouth of someone who simply stretches out his hands for it- it cannot do so [13:14]

In this verse and the ones alike it, we find a pattern of the following two occurrences: (a) These verses all use different forms of the word du'a (دعاء) to prohibit 'calling'. The meaning of this word in these contexts must then be analysed to know the true meaning of the verse. (b) These words all mention to not call upon anyone besides Allah (من دونه), which either means it is not permissible to call upon anyone except Allah or it is not permissible to call upon anyone as a partner to Allah (swt).

To address the first point (a), then we can refer back to the hadiths of the Holy Prophet (saw) and the Qur'an to understand the meaning of this word. We find that the word holds two meanings in the contexts it is being used:

1. In the theological aspect, it refers to an act of worship, wherein someone prays to the entity being called upon. When we refer back to the hadiths of the Prophet (saw), it is recorded he said in Sunan Abi Dawud 1479:

الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ

"Du'a is itself worship."

2. In the linguistic sense, and in this sense the word 'dua' means to literally call. This is known amongst anyone who speaks arabic, that when you call someone then you use the word du'a. This is clear as even the Qur'an uses this word in the linguistic sense in many areas as we see:

ٱدْعُوهُمْ لءبآئهم

Call them after their fathers [33:5]

وَيَٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِىٓ أَدۡعُوكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ وَتَدۡعُونَنِىٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ

My people, why do I call you to salvation when you call me to the Fire? [40:42]

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا

He said: ‘O Lord! I called my nation [to you] day and night’. [71:5]

The verses above use forms of the word دعاء, and we see here that in the literal sense it just means to call someone. Therefore, if someone calls upon someone else to request something, then this in itself does not necessitate any form of polytheism to have taken place. That is because, the verse which prohibit to call anyone besides Allah (swt) are all using the word 'dua' in the theological sense, and that means not to worship besides Allah. This understanding has been collectively agreed upon by all Sunni scholars by consensus (ijma').

Just as an example, we can refer to Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 4, pg. 566:

(والذين يدعون من دونه ) أي ومثل الذين يعبدون آلهة غير الله

(And those they call upon besides him) is the example of those who worship Gods other than Allah.

This is just one example, but all these verses that mention the prohibition of calling beisdes God all carry the same meaning and have all been agreed on to prohibt worshipping beisdes Allah because dua is itself worship, and hence it is used to negate worshipping besides Him. Moreover, the second phrase (b) that we mentioned earlier attests to this, because calling someone who isn't Allah is not an issue as the verses show that Prophets called their nations 'day and night' and that was not an issue to do so, so rather it means not to call anyone as partner to Allah in the sense they are not on the same level as His. This is the meaning of those verses and it has been agreed upon by all scholars of the Ummah that their meaning is this.

In fact, we find the calling upon dead people to be endorsed by the Holy Qur'an as it says in:

فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ فِى دَارِهِمۡ جَٰثِمِينَ فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لَقَدۡ أَبۡلَغۡتُكُمۡ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّى وَنَصَحۡتُ لَكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ ٱلنَّٰصِحِينَ

An earthquake seized them: by the next morning they were lying dead in their homes. So he turned away from them, saying, 'Oh my people (Ya Qowmi), I delivered my Lord’s messages to you and gave you sincere advice, but you did not like those who gave sincere advice.’ [7:78-79]

Prophet Salih (as) in this verse, addresses the people of his nation and calls upon them. Prophet Shu'ayb (as) also did the same:

فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ فِى دَارِهِمۡ جَٰثِمِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ شُعَيۡبًا كَأَن لَّمۡ يَغۡنَوۡاْ فِيهَاۚ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ شُعَيۡبًا كَانُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لَقَدۡ أَبۡلَغۡتُكُمۡ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحۡتُ لَكُمْۖ فَكَيۡفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ كَٰفِرِين

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone. Those who denied Shuʿayb - it was as though they had never resided there. Those who denied Shuʿayb - it was they who were the losers. And he [i.e., Shuʿayb] turned away from them and said, "O my people (Ya Qawmi), I had certainly conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you, so how could I grieve for a disbelieving people?" [7:91-93]

So we see in these verses, that the Prophets are calling upon their people who have just been killed, just in the same way you would say 'Ya Muhammad' or in plural 'Ya Ahlulbayt', and we see no criticism of the Qur'an towards the actions of these prophets.

Second set of verses: There will be no intercessors

In another part of the Qur'an, we see a continuous mention on the denial of intercessors to avail anyone, and used as evidence by people to declare intercession as forbidden. However, at the same time we find many verses endorsing and praising intercession, and so in light of this non-muslims have even called out the Qur'an for contradicting itself in regards to the view of intercession. This issue however is so easily addressable, as it requires an understanding of what Allah (swt) means by these verses.

There are three categories we can place each of these verses in. It is the following:

A. Verses that claim the intercession of the idols will be of no avail

And those they invoke besides Him do not possess [power of] intercession; but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know. (43:86)

We do not see with you your 'intercessors' which you claimed that they were among you associates [of Allah ]. It has [all] been severed between you, and lost from you is what you used to claim." (6:94)

B. Verses that claim there is no intercession independent of Allah (swt)

Say, "To Allah belongs [the right to allow] intercession entirely. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned." (39:44)

You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded? (32:4)

The Day you will turn your backs fleeing; there is not for you from Allah any protector. (40:33)

C. Verses that claim intercession is only with the pleasure of Allah (swt)

None will have [power of] intercession except he who had taken from the Most Merciful a covenant. (19:87)

Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? (2:255)

And they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves (21:28)

And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves. (53:26)

The Qur'an is thus not contradicting itself in this regards, but speaking in different tones & contexts at different verses, the reasoning for this was shed to us by 'Allama al-Tabatabaei (qadsullah ruha) in Tafsir al-Mizan, Vol. 1, pg. 156-7 under verse 2:48:

وكذلك الآيات الناطقة في التوفي والخلق والرزق والتأثير والحكم والملك وغير ذلك فإنها شائعة في أسلوب القرآن، حيث ينفي كل كمال عن غيره تعالى، ثم يثبته لنفسه، ثم يثبته لغيره باذنه ومشيته، فتفيد ان الموجودات غيره تعالى لا تملك ما تملك من هذه الكمالات بنفسها واستقلالها، وإنما تملكها بتمليك الله لها إياها

The same is the case with various verses on the subjects of creating, sustaining, giving death, causality, command, authority and similar things. Some verses reserve them for God, while some say that others too may do these things. It is a well known style of the Qur'an: first it rejects the idea that anyone other than God has any virtue or perfection; thereafter it confirms the same virtue or perfection for others depending on the per- mission and pleasure of God. When read together, the verses show that nobody has any virtue by his own power and right; whatever excellence there may be, he has got it because God has given it to him.

In other words, the Qur'an is merely emphasising God's power and rule, and so when it denies intercession speaks only in regards to one that is independent or separate to Allah's power. However, it still permits and recognises that intercession is permitted and exists within the realm of Allah's sovereignty and not through, for example, the idols of Quraysh.

Another verse some people bring forth is the following:

وَيَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ

They worship besides Allah others who can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, “These are our intercessors with Allah.” [10:18]

At first glance, someone may assume this shows intercession is shirk. However, upon further analysis we find none of the Sunni commentators of the Qur'an have used this to prove that intercession is shirk, as they've all unanimously (ijma’) agreed that this is only in reference to idols (انصام). The explanation of this ayah, in summary, is that:

1. The mushriks said “intercessors” out of ignorance, not out of sincerity. They did not know how to worship Allah hence they actually worshipped the idols.

2. Idols cannot hear or help, and they cannot intercede for them, while the awliya can.

3. This ayah is about idols and not awliya who have passed away, and has no relation to them. 

4. Other verses identify the difference between the acts of Quraysh & monotheists:

وَلَا يَمۡلِكُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَن شَهِدَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Those gods they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession, unlike those who bore witness to the truth and recognized it. [43:86]

In commentary to the verse above, Ibn Kathir says in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 6, pg. 589:

ثم قال تعالى : ( ولا يملك الذين يدعون من دونه ) أي : من الأصنام والأوثان ) الشفاعة ) أي : لا يقدرون على الشفاعة لهم ، ( إلا من شهد بالحق وهم يعلمون )هذا استثناء منقطع ، أي : لكن من شهد بالحق على بصيرة وعلم ، فإنه تنفع شفاعته عنده بإذنه له .

Then He, exalted be He, said: "And those they invoke other than Him do not possess [power of] intercession; but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know." This is a clear exception, meaning that only those who testify to the truth with knowledge and insight, their intercession will be beneficial with His permission.

We also read in Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 10, pg. 470:

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: (وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلا يَنْفَعُهُمْ) يُرِيدُ الْأَصْنَامَ. (وَيَقُولُونَ هؤُلاءِ شُفَعاؤُنا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ) وَهَذِهِ غَايَةُ الْجَهَالَةِ مِنْهُمْ، حَيْثُ يَنْتَظِرُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ فِي الْمَآلِ مِمَّنْ لَا يُوجَدُ مِنْهُ نَفْعٌ وَلَا ضَرٌّ فِي الْحَالِ. وَقِيلَ:" شُفَعاؤُنا" أَيْ تَشْفَعُ لَنَا عِنْدَ الله في إصلاح معايشنا فِي الدُّنْيَا.

His saying, exalted be He: "And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them." He intends idols. And they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah." This is the peak of their ignorance, as they await intercession in the Hereafter from those who can neither harm nor benefit them in the present. It is said, "Our intercessors," meaning they intercede for us before Allah to improve our worldly affairs.

Al-Qurtubi here shows to us that for one, this ayah is in reference to idols (again not awliya) and that this was a statement out of ignorance (jahl). This is because despite the meaning of intercession being as he said, their practice was entirely different as they used to regard these idols as divine.  

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi gives us an in-depth explanation in his Tafsir al-Kabir under commentary of 10:18:

Know that among the people, some have claimed that these disbelievers mistakenly thought that worshiping idols is a more significant way to glorify Allah than worshiping Allah Himself. They said, "We are not qualified to engage in the worship of Allah; rather, we occupy ourselves with the worship of these idols, and they will be our intercessors with Allah." They differed on how they claimed that these idols would intercede for them:

Comment: Al-Razi is clearly highlighting to us that the mushriks used intercession as an excuse to justify their ignorance, it is similar to the explanations of christians as to why we need Jesus to die for us rather than to have God forgive us. It is their pure ignorance. 

1. Some believed that each region of the world had a specific spirit from the celestial realm, assigning a particular idol for that spirit, and they worshipped it, intending to worship that spirit. They believed that this by spirit would then be a servant of the supreme deity and engaged in its servitude.

2. Others worshipped the stars, considering them capable of divine servitude. When they observed that stars rise and set, they assigned specific idols to them, worshipping these idols with the intention of directing worship towards the stars.

3. Some placed specific talismans on these idols and statues, approaching them similarly to how people use talismans. They believed in the efficacy of these talismans in facilitating their intercession with Allah.

4. They placed these idols and statues in the form of their prophets and elders, claiming that when they worshipped these representations, their revered figures would intercede for them with Allah.

5. They believed that God is an immense light, and angels are lights, so they created idols resembling the Supreme Deity and angels, intending to direct their worship towards these representations.

6. Some proposed a philosophical solution, suggesting that the deity resides in certain elevated and noble bodies.

Know that all these perspectives are false, as evidenced by the verse stating: "And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them." The denial mentioned in the verse indicates the negation of the existence of these deities within themselves and emphasizes that such beliefs are baseless. The verse concludes with Allah's statement: "Say, 'Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth? Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.'" This confirms the rejection of the idea that Allah is unaware of these alleged intercessors and emphasizes their falsehood.

Third set of verses: Only Allah can help us

Some bring the objection that seeking help from the dead contradicts the following verse:

It is You who we worship and You whom we seek help from [1:5]

At first glance, one might compare seeking intercession with seeking help and see similarities between them. When a person says they are seeking help from someone other than Allah, they are turning to "other than Allah." As previously explained, this phrase carries two meanings. The form that constitutes shirk is when someone seeks help from another while placing them on the same level as Allah. In other words, believing that someone is a partner to Allah in providing help is shirk. However, if help is sought within the limits of Allah's (swt) authority and power, it is not considered shirk. For instance, the Qur'an states:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. [2:153]

The meaning here is that you seek help and patience as actions that bring you closer to Allah, and not as alternatives sources of help. Intercession is the same, it is that which brings you closer to Allah, rather than an alternative source of help than Allah (swt).

This concludes that the Qur'an has no issue with the matter regarding intercession, and the verses that indicate prohibition of this practice have all been addressed by being placed under one of the three categories that have been explained and examined.