Transliteration:( Ya'lamu maa baina aideehim wa maa khalfahum wa laa yashfa'oona illaa limanir tadaa wa hum min khash yatihee mushfiqoon )
"He knows whatever is before them and whatever is behind them, and they intercede not but for him whom He is pleased [41] with. And they fear of His awe [42]."
This verse clarifies that no intercession is accepted without Allah's approval.
Yet, it also tells us that Allah is pleased even with sinful believers, purely due to their faith (Iman).
Because of this basic belief, even sinful Muslims may be forgiven through the intercession of Prophets, angels, or the righteous.
This shows that Allah never completely distances Himself from believers. Proof of this love is found in how He still calls them:
“O you who believe!” – even when they err.
On the other hand, Allah does not allow intercession for disbelievers, as His complete displeasure rests upon them.
Despite being sinless and innocent, the angels tremble before Allah, out of awe and reverence.
This fear is not due to sin, but due to recognizing Allah’s absolute greatness (Awe) and their own dependence on Him (Ishfaq).
Such deep reverence is a sign of strong faith, found in Prophets, saints, and angels.
The greater the faith, the deeper the fear of Allah—this is a hallmark of true servitude.
The tafsir of Surah Anbiya verse 28 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Anbiya ayat 26 which provides the complete commentary from verse 26 through 29.
(21:28) He knows whatever is before them and whatsoever is remote from them and they do not intercede except for him, intercession on whose behalf pleases Him, and they stand constantly in awe of Him.[27]
27. These two verses refute the two reasons for which the mushriks had made the angels their deities:
(1) They took them for the offspring of Allah.
(2) They thought that if they worshiped the angels, they would be so pleased that they would intercede with Allah on their behalf. See (Surah Younus, Ayat 18); (Surah Az-Zumar, Ayat 3).
In this connection, it should also be noted that the Quran refutes the doctrine of intercession of the mushriks, saying, that their so called intercessors are not qualified to intercede for anyone. This is so because they have no knowledge of the hidden things, whereas Allah knows all that is hidden from or open to them. Therefore, the angels or Prophets or saints shall be allowed intercession only with the prior permission of Allah. As Allah alone has the power to hear or accept intercession, none else is entitled to divine worship or rights. For further details, please see (Surah TaHa, ayat 109-110) note 85-86.
[883]- See footnote to 20:110.
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