Al-Anbya 28: Allah knows what is in front of them and what is behind them (what they will do and what they have done). They do not intercede for anyone else but those who have attained (Allah’s) approval. They tremble from fear (of Allah).

Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 28.

Allah knows what is before them and what is behind them, what they have done and what they will do.

How does He know? He says it in a verse. There is not a single living being to come until the Day of Judgment whose deeds We do not know. On what basis does He say this? When we made our covenant with Allah Almighty at the address Elest-ü bi Rabbiküm, our wishes and intentions became our destiny. Within the state of these wishes and desires, Allah Almighty placed in us characters. When the time for these characters comes, millimetre by millimetre, second by second, Allah Almighty creates causes for people, and people, according to their wishes and desires, carry out deeds. In return for the deeds they have done, they receive reward and sin.

So it is with Allah Almighty: "There is not a single living being to come until the Day of Judgment whose deeds We do not know" — the continuation of the verse. All the verses always support one another anyway. "We know the secrets of your hearts," He says. With your feelings in the most hidden corner of your heart, which you need yet cannot know, (?) We know, He says. Except for those who have attained Allah's pleasure, they do not intercede, they do not pray for anyone. here it says prayer, there it is not prayer but intercession. now some people say there is no intercession and Allah Almighty says that, other than those whom Allah permits, no one can intercede.

Yes. Could you hand me my phone there? Let me tell you the verse from there. To the people who say there is no intercession, let me say it.

In Allah's presence, the intercession of none but those He Himself permits is of any use, He says. How beautifully He puts it. Surah Saba, verse 23: In Allah's presence, the intercession of none but those He Himself permits is of any use. Finally, when fear leaves their hearts, they say: What did your Lord decree? They say: He decreed the truth. He is the Most High, the Great, says Allah Almighty in His verse.

Yes.

And what does it say here? They do not intercede for anyone except those who have attained Allah's pleasure. So what does this mean? Here there is a subtlety.

They say these intercede for those who are Muslims. They do not intercede for those who are not Muslims. That is Allah's pleasure. That is the meaning of Allah's pleasure here. Even if destined for Hell — since he passed to the hereafter as a Muslim, though destined for Hell — had he not earned Allah's pleasure, that is, had he not gone to the hereafter as a Muslim with that light of faith, he would remain in Hell forever. So he has earned Allah's pleasure; even if a sinner, since he will surely go to Paradise, he has earned Allah's pleasure. It is for such people that they intercede. How else would they? When it says here, "they do not intercede for anyone except those of them who have attained Allah's pleasure," they misunderstand this.

A person who has attained Allah's pleasure has no need of intercession anyway. He has no need of intercession. He will go to Paradise anyway. You now understand, I suppose, the meaning of intercession here. Attained Allah's pleasure. That is, he went to the hereafter as a Muslim, but his mother and father are sinners and will go to Hell. He pleads with Allah Almighty for them. From seven people up to seventy, Allah Almighty grants the right of intercession according to His servants' ranks. Yes. "They tremble in fear of Allah," it says. Who? Those who will intercede. They tremble in fear of Allah.

Yes. And they love Allah very much. "If there is anyone most to be feared," Allah Almighty says, "it is Me." "And if there is anyone most to be loved, that too is Me," He says. Yes. Why do these fear Allah, have such fear of Allah, and tremble? We all fear. But their knowing Allah Almighty through unveiling is finer.

Mistakes come to light (?). From the mistakes he makes as a human being. And from the words from his mouth taking on many meanings and becoming sin. If I am called to account for these, what state will I fall into before my Lord? He is wrapped in a veil of shame. In this situation they fear greatly. That is why they watch the words that come out of their mouths. Yes. They do not speak carelessly like other people.

We complete the verse. We read the verse once more. Allah knows what is before them and what is behind them, what they have done and what they will do. They do not intercede for anyone except those who have attained Allah's pleasure. They tremble in fear of Allah. Those who (?) with betrayal against Allah Almighty. Those who say Allah took a child — God forbid; Allah is far above such deficient attributes. He has no need of wife and children, and He has proven that His essence is one and the absolute power. Although Allah Almighty knows the states of all He created, He also knows, of those favoured with Allah's grace, what is before them and behind them.

That is, He knows what these servants He created will do and what they will do before passing to the hereafter. When people ascribe guilt to such people favoured with Allah's grace, and associate them as partners with Allah, these are not counted guilty in Allah's sight. For these are people who, receiving the command from Allah, conveyed Allah's command to people. In this respect, Allah suffices as a witness for them. Just as Allah Almighty knows what is before and behind these people, He also knows what is before and behind all His creatures. For Allah is aware of everything. These people do not intercede for anyone except those who have attained Allah's pleasure.

When they conveyed Allah's command to their peoples, since those among their peoples followed them and entered Allah's path, and so are people who have earned Allah's pleasure, they intercede for them. Among these peoples, for the people who obey Allah and earn Allah's pleasure, their prophets will intercede and say to Allah Almighty: "O my Lord, when these conveyed Your command, these answered Your call. Forgive them." When they say this, Allah Almighty will accept these prophets' intercession. He will forgive them. Doesn't the Prophet (peace be upon him) say the same thing? "Until not a single one of my community remains in Hell," he says, "I will plead with Allah," he says.

Well, isn't this intercession? Yes. Yes. Because he answered the call but followed his nafs and committed evil deeds.

Such people tremble in fear of Allah. Because they know that, by our creation as humans, we are deficient and fallible. Allah, who created the universe, did not create us aimless and without responsibility. A person's nafs and Satan are enemies to the person himself. Faced with this, he tries to master his nafs. Although walking the path Allah has shown is heavy for the human nafs, it may happen that a person fulfils the desire of his nafs and becomes a sinner. That is: at the Resurrection, on that Day of Reckoning, when we are called to account before Allah Almighty for what we did and meet punishment, what will become of us — so, out of fear of Allah, they tremble. Yes.

Muhammad (peace be upon him).