Surat Al-'Anbyā' (The Prophets)
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يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ
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YaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wamakhalfahum wala yashfaAAoona illa limani irtadawahum min khashyatihi mushfiqoon
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He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.
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- 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.2727. 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 AzZumur, 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, E. Ns 85-86).
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The sūrah then picks up the claims of the unbelievers alleging that God has a son. This is one of the absurdities of ignorance: They say: ‘The Most Merciful has taken to Himself a son!’ Limitless is He in His glory! No; they are but His honoured servants. They do not speak until He has spoken, and they act at His behest. He knows all that lies before them and all behind them. They do not intercede for any but those whom He has already graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. If any of them were tosay, I am a deity beside Him,’ We shall requite him with hell. Thus do We reward the wrongdoers. (Verses 26-29) The claim that God – limitless is He in His glory – has a son took several forms in the different communities that deviated from the path of truth. The pagan Arabs alleged that the angels were God’s daughters, while unbeliever groups among the Jews alleged that Ezra was God’s son. Similarly, deviant Christians alleged that Jesus Christ was God’s son. All these are ignorant claims that deviate from the clear truth. The sūrah is here especially concerned with the Arabs’ claim that the angels were God’s daughters. This claim is rebuffed by clarifying the nature of angels. They are not God’s female offspring, rather, they are only His servants whom He has honoured. The angels do not suggest anything to God, because they know their limits and abide by them. They do what God bids them, without argument. God’s knowledge encompasses all their affairs. They do not try to intercede on behalf of anyone other than those to whom He has gracefully granted His acceptance. Only on behalf of these does He accept intercession. By nature, the angels are in awe of God, revering Him, even though they are pure, honoured and obedient to Him. Needless to say, none of them ever makes a claim to Godhead. Had any of them, for argument’s sake, made such a claim, they would have suffered the same fate as anyone else who makes such a claim. That fate is hell where goes everyone guilty of the worst type of wrongdoing, which is to make such a claim which runs against all right and is unjust to all creation. The same applies to the unbelievers’ false claims. They are hollow, absurd and irrational. Should anyone make such a claim, the same terrible fate will befall him. The sūrah contrasts its image of the angels in obedience and awe of God with that of the unbelievers who make such absurd and impudent claims.The sūrah has so far given us several types of evidence drawn from the universe, all testifying to God’s oneness, and stated a number of arguments denying any possibility of there being more than one God. It has also provided evidence that addresses people’s hearts directly. Now the sūrah takes the human heart by the hand to contemplate some of the great phenomena in the universe, as it is wisely managed by God. Yet the unbelievers remain heedless of the clear signs revealed all about them. For those who look however, the universe reveals aspects of itself that leave our minds in total amazement when we contemplate them with an open heart and alert senses.
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He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him.
﴿يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ﴾(He knows what is before them, and what is behind them,)﴿وَلاَ يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى﴾(and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased.) This is like the Ayat:﴿مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ﴾(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) ﴿2:255﴾﴿وَلاَ تَنفَعُ الشَّفَـعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ﴾(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits) ﴿34:23﴾. There are many Ayat which say similar things.﴿وَهُمْ مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ﴾(And they for fear of Him) means, because they fear Him.