WE BELIEVE that in doomsday the prophets and the innocent saints might intercede on behalf of some sinners with God, and plea for their forgiveness. We should not forget that such intercession is only permitted for those who have not entirely cut off their relation with God, and His Apostles. Therefore the intercession is not done unconditionally.
He knows what is before them and what is after them, and they (i.e. the APOSTLES) offer no intercession except for those who are conformed, to the will of God, and they (ALL) stand in awe and reverence of God's GLORY.
THE HOLY QURAN _ S21: 28
As we have already mentioned, intercession is a way to train man, a means of preventing him to drown in the sea of sins, while it may teach him to repent and return to his Merciful Lord from evil.
Certainly the highest rank of intercession belonges to the APOSTLES, and then it lowers to the saints, to the learned, the martyrs, and true believers to some relative extents.
In a tradition narrated by Emam Sadiq we have:_ There are none among the first and the last, who are not in need of Mohammad's intercession in doomsday. And also in another tradition we have:_
There are five intercessors in Doomsday:_1_ QURAN 2_OBSERVATION OF BONDS OF KINSHIP. 3_TRUSTEESHIP 4_YOUR. PROPHET (MOHAMMAD). 5_YOUR PROPHET'S NEAREST KINS.
We have also received another tradition from Emam Sadiq:_
In the resurrection day God raises the Ascetic worshipper and the LEARNED BELIEVER to life. He will say to the ASCETIC WORSHIPPER:_ `Go
.- BOHAR _ Vol.8 _ P.42
and live in MY PARADISE.' But He will say to the learned:_ `Stay here, and intercede on behalf of the people.'
This tradition contains a minutely fine point about the philosophy of INTERCESSION.
