On that day no intercession shall avail, except the one for whom the Most Gracious has given permission and whose word is acceptable to Him (109)He knows what happens to them, and what will happen to them, but they will never encompass anything of His knowledge (110)And (all) faces shall be humbled before the Ever Living, the Sustainer. And he who carried wrongdoing, will be indeed a complete failure (111)And he who works deeds of righteousness, while he is a believer, then he will have no fear of injustice, nor of any curtailment (112)
The Intercession and the Recompense
Allah, the Exalted, says,
يَوْمَئِذٍ
(On that day) the Day of Resurrection,
لَّا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ
(no intercession shall avail.) meaning with Him (Allah).
إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوْلًا
(except the one for whom the Most Gracious has given permission and whose word is acceptable to Him.) This is similar to His statement,
مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission?)(2:255) It is also similar to His statement,
وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ
(And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with.)(53:26) He also says,
وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ
(And they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him.)(21:28) He also says,
وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits.)(34:23) And He says,
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا
(The Day that Ar-Ruh and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right.)(78:38) In the Two Sahihs it is reported from the leader of the Children of Adam and the Noblest of all the creatures to Allah, Muhammad ﷺ:
آتِي تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ، وَأَخِرُّ للهِ سَاجِدًا، وَيَفْتَحُ عَلَيَّ بِمَحَامِدَ لَا أُحْصِيهَا الْآنَ، فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَدَعَنِي، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ - فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا، فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ ثُمَّ أَعُودُ
(I will come under the Throne and I will fall down into prostration. Then, I will be inspired to make praises (of Allah) that I am not able to recall them now. Allah will leave me in this condition as long as He wishes. Then, He will say, "O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted." Then, a designated group will be allowed for me (to intercede on their behalf). Allah will then enter them into Paradise and I will return (to repeat the process again).)
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned doing this four times. May Allah's blessings and peace be upon him and the rest of the Prophets as well. In another Hadith it also mentions that he said,
يَقُولُ تَعَالَى: أَخْرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، فَيُخْرِجُونَ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: أَخْرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نِصْفُ مِثْقَالٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، أَخْرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مَا يَزِنُ ذَرَّةً، مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَدْنَى أَدْنَى مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ
(Allah, the Exalted, will say, "Bring out of the Fire whoever has a seed's weight of faith in his heart." So a large number of people will be brought out. Then He will say, "Bring out of the Fire whoever has a half of a seed's weight of faith in his heart. Bring out whoever has the weight of a speck of dust in his heart. Bring out whoever has the weight of the smallest and tiniest particle of dust of faith in his heart.") And the Hadith continues. Concerning Allah's statement,
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ
(He knows what happens to them and what will happen to them,) He encompasses all creation with His knowledge.
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا
(but they will never encompass anything of His knowledge.) This is like His statement,
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ
(And they will never encompass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills.)(2:255) Concerning Allah's statement,
وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ
(And (all) faces shall be humbled before the Ever Living, the Sustainer.)
Ibn 'Abbas and others said, "This means that the creatures will be humbled, submissive and compliant to their Compeller, the Ever Living, Who does not die, the Sustainer of all, Who does not sleep." He is the maintainer of everything. He determines the affairs of everything and preserves everything. He is perfect in His Self. He is the One Whom everything is in need of and whom nothing could survive without. Concerning His statement,
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا
(And he who carried wrongdoing, will be indeed a complete failure.) meaning on the Day of Resurrection. For verily, Allah will give every due right to the one who deserved it. Even the ram who lost its horn will be given revenge against the one who had horns. In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Prophet ﷺ said,
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظُّلْمَ، فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
(Beware of wrongdoing (or oppression), for verily, wrongdoing will be darknesses on the Day of Resurrection.) And the true failure is for whoever meets Allah while associating partners with Him. Allah the Exalted says,
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ
("Verily, associating partners with Me is the great wrongdoing.")[31:13] Allah's statement,
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَا يَخَافُ ظُلْمًا وَلَا هَضْمًا
(And he who works deeds of righteousness, while he is a believer, then he will have no fear of injustice, nor of any curtailment.)
After Allah mentions the wrongdoers and their threat, He then commends the pious people and mentions the judgement they receive. Their judgement is that they will not be wronged nor oppressed. This means that their evils will not be increased and their good deeds will not be decreased. This was stated by Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others. Zulm means an increase that comes from the sins of others being placed upon the person, and Hadm means a decrease.