al-Shanaa'a ala man radda Ahadith al-Shafaa'a
- Author died
- 1445 AH
- Editions
- Printed at the expense of some benefactors, may Allah reward them with good
al-Shanaa'a ala man radda Ahadith al-Shafaa'a (The Abomination of the One Who Rejects the Hadiths of Intercession) is a theological treatise by Abd al-Karim ibn Salih al-Humayd (d. 1445 AH / 2023 CE), written as a critical refutation of Egyptian writer Mustafa Mahmud and his denial of the prophetic reports concerning intercession (al-shafa'a) on the Day of Judgment .
Background and Purpose
The work was composed in response to Mahmud's publications on intercession, in which he claimed that widespread hadiths concerning the Prophet's intercession for sinners contradict explicit passages of the Quran . Al-Humayd strongly condemned Mahmud's discourse, criticizing him for speaking on foundational matters of creed (tawhid) without religious knowledge and relying on individual reasoning rather than traditional Islamic scholarship . He also noted procedural faults in Mahmud's book, such as omitting the opening formulas of basmala and hamdala, and including personal photographs and images of women on its covers .
Content and Arguments
The central theme of the work revolves around defending the authentic prophetic traditions that affirm intercession for monotheistic sinners:
- Affirmation of Intercession for Major Sins: Al-Humayd cites authentic hadiths affirming that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will intercede for believers who committed major sins (ahl al-kaba'ir), including the hadith: شفاعتي لأهل الكبائر من أمتي ("My intercession is for the people of major sins among my community") . He explains that these traditions are well-established and mass-transmitted (mutawatir) in meaning according to Ahl al-Sunnah, and that rejecting them aligns with the unorthodox doctrines of the Kharijites and Mu'tazila .
- Distinction Between Hypocrites and Sinful Monotheists: In response to Mahmud's claim that hadiths guaranteeing the eventual rescue of anyone who uttered the testimony of faith (shahada) contradict Quranic verses placing hypocrites in the lowest tier of Hell, al-Humayd differentiates between insincere hypocrites who utter faith mendaciously and sinful monotheists (muwahhidun) whose hearts contain genuine faith despite their transgressions .
- Conditions of the Testimony of Faith: Al-Humayd outlines the mandatory conditions for the efficacy of the formula la ilaha illa Allah (knowledge, certainty, sincerity, truthfulness, acceptance, love, and compliance), clarifying that affirming the intercession for sinners does not reduce salvation to a mere empty vocal utterance devoid of real faith and monotheism .
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