The Guiding Light — Page 354
S u rah al-Baqarah, Verse 255-258 354 Judgement? This question has given rise to much controversy and consequently much misunderstanding. Let it be said at once that Islam does not confine GMNOP (intercession) to one person only; for according to the Islamic conception of ( Shaf a ‘ Y` ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ ) every holy person whose connection can materially influence the spiritual condition of a man is virtually a ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) for him. All Prophets are therefore ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) but they are ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) only in their own respective spheres. Abraham is a ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) for those who followed him and Moses is a ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) for those who followed him and so on. But with the advent of the Holy Prophet sa of Islam all other connections have come to an end; for the message of Holy Prophet sa is for all time and all mankind. Even the present-day followers of Moses as or Jesus as cannot turn to these Prophets for ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺔ , because spiritually they are now under the regime of the Holy Prophet of Islam, the regimes of the previous Prophets having come to an end. As a matter of fact, as explained by the Quran itself, the real ﺷﻔ ﻴ ﻊ shaf i ‘ ) is God alone. Says the Quran: