Transliteration:( Wa laa tanfa'ush shafaa'atu 'indahooo illaa liman azina lah; hattaaa izaa fuzzi'a 'an quloobihim qaaloo maazaa qaala Rabbukum; qaalul haqq, wa Huwal 'Aliyul Kabeer )
"And no intercession awaits with Him except for him whom He permits. Until after giving permission [77], the bewilderment of their hearts is removed, they will ask [78]: 'What is it that your Lord has said?' They will say: 'Only the truth [79].' And He is the Exalted, the Great."
This verse emphasizes that no one can intercede before Allah without His explicit permission. Both the intercessor and the one being interceded for must be approved by Allah. This confirms that intercession is a privilege granted only to the pious, and it will only be on behalf of believers.
On the Day of Judgment, even the believers and righteous intercessors will initially experience anxiety and awe. However, once permission is granted, the tension will be lifted, and their hearts will be comforted. At that moment, they will ask one another about the divine verdict, and it will be answered that permission to intercede has been granted.
Some exalted souls—such as the Holy Prophet ﷺ and select saints—are exempt from this initial distress, due to their elevated status and divine closeness.
When it is asked what Allah has said, the answer will be: "Only the truth." Allah’s speech is always just, wise, and true. The intercession itself will occur only within the bounds of truth, aligning with Allah’s wisdom and mercy.
The verse ends by declaring that Allah is "the Exalted, the Great." While greatness and honor may be granted to some of His beloved servants—especially the Prophet ﷺ—they remain infinitely below the Majesty of Allah, who alone possesses ultimate grandeur that surpasses all comprehension.
The tafsir of Surah Saba verse 23 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Saba ayat 22 which provides the complete commentary from verse 22 through 23.
(34:23) No intercession can avail with Allah except for him whom Allah permits (to intercede).[40] When their hearts are relieved of fright they will ask the intercessors: “What did your Lord say?” They will reply: “(He said) what is right, and He is the High, the Great.”[41]
40. That is, not to speak of owning something, or being a partner in the ownership of something, or being a helper of Allah in any way, there exists no one in the universe, who of his own accord, may intercede for someone before Allah. You are involved in the misunderstanding that there are some beloved ones of God, or some such powerful personalities, who can force and press God to accept their intercession, whereas the fact is that no one will dare utter a word of recommendation there without Allah’s permission. Only such a one will be able to make his submissions who is permitted by Allah to do so, and will intercede for him alone for whom permission for intercession is granted. To understand the distinction between the Islamic concept of intercession and the polytheistic concept, see (Surah Yunus, Ayat 3), (Surah Yunus, Ayat 18); (Surah Hud, Ayat 76), (Surah Hud, Ayat 105); (Surah TaHa, Ayat 109); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 28); (Surah Al-Hajj, Ayat 76).”
41. Here a graphic picture has been drawn of the time when, on the Day of Resurrection, an intercessor will be seeking permission to intercede on behalf of someone. It presents this scene: “After submitting the application for permission, both the intercessor and the person for whom intercession is being provided are awaiting the reply in a state of restlessness and awe. At last, when the permission is granted and the person perceives satisfaction in the face of the intercessor, he feels a little comforted and asks the intercessor: “What has your Lord said?” The intercessor says, “The truth”: permission has been granted. What is meant to be impressed is this: “O foolish people! Such will be the awe of the great court of Allah! How dare you entertain the notion that anybody will have you forgiven by his own power, or dare behave stubbornly and tell Allah: These are my favorites: they will have to be forgiven!”
[1231]- i.e., the hearts of the angels who will be permitted to intercede.
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