The Guiding Light — Page 351
S u rah al-Baqarah, Verse 255-258 351 loss attached thereto (4:86). Thus the need and the usefulness of ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ ( shaf a ‘a h ) in the sense of a good connection is self-evident and one need not say much about it. But when we come to ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ ( shaf a ‘a h ) in the sense of intercession, an explanation seems called for. When all depends on true belief and right actions, why should the necessity of intercession arise at all? Even a cursory thought leads to the conviction that this question, which has misled many, arises from the misleading conception of the word “intercession” as ordinarily understood. Unprincipled men go about interceding for criminals with unprincipled judges, thwarting the very ends of justice. Islamic ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ ( shaf a ‘a h ) is far from this. It is not a mere intercession but is adjunct of the principle of true belief and right actions. According to Islam only that person is entitled to ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ ( shaf a ‘a h ) who is sincerely connected with the Prophet of the day, is true in faith and earnestly tries to live a righteous life according to the teachings of Islam. But being weak, he sometimes stumbles. There is nothing inherently wrong with his connection with the Prophet, which is pure and true; only an occasional