Facing the Final Judgment

The scriptures show us that all humans are sinful, and thus we will need someone to intercede for us at the Final Judgment. In Sahih Muslim, we see this interesting hadith (Kitab al-Imam chapter 83):

"Abu Huraira reported: Meat was brought to the Messenger of Allah one day, and a part which he liked, the foreleg, was offered to him. He ate a piece of it and said, 'I shall be the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection. Do you know why?

Allah would gather the entire human race on one plain on the Day of Resurrection. Then the voice of the proclaimer would be heard by all of them and the eyesight would penetrate through all of them, and the sun would come near. The people would then experience a degree of anguish, anxiety and agony, which they shall not be able to bear. And some of them would say to the others, 'Don't you see what trouble you are in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken you? Why don't you find one who will intercede for you before God?'

Some of them would say to the others, 'Go to Adam.' And they would go and say, 'O Adam, you are the father of mankind. Allah created you with His own Hand, and breathed into you of His spirit, and ordered the angels to prostrate before you. Intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us?' Adam would say, 'Verily, my Lord is angry to an extent to which He had never been angry before, nor would He be (so) angry afterward. Verily, He forbade me (to go near) that tree and I disobeyed Him. I am concerned about myself, I am concerned about myself. Go to someone else; go to Noah.'

They would come to Noah and say, 'O Noah, you are the first of the Messengers (sent) to the earth (after Adam), and Allah named you as a "Grateful Servant," intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us?' He would say, 'Verily, my Lord is angry today as He had never been angry before, and would never be (so) angry afterwards. There had emanated a curse from me with which I cursed my people. I am concerned about myself; you had better go to Abraham (peace be upon him).'

They would go to Abraham and say, 'You are the apostle of Allah and His Friend amongst the inhabitants of the earth; intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us?' Abraham would say to them, 'Verily my Lord is angry today as He had never been angry before, and would never be (so) angry afterwards,' and Abraham would mention his lies (and then say), 'I am concerned about myself, I am concerned about myself. You had better go to someone else; go to Moses.'

They would come to Moses (peace be upon him) and say, 'O Moses, you are Allah's Messenger, Allah blessed you with His apostleship and His conversation amongst people. Intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us? Moses (peace be upon him) would say to them, 'Verily, my Lord is as angry as He had never been angry before, and would never be (so) angry afterwards. I, in fact, killed a person whom I had not been ordered to kill. I am concerned about myself, I am concerned about myself. You had better go to Jesus (peace be upon him).'

They would come to Jesus and would say, 'O Jesus, you are the Messenger of Allah, and you conversed with people (while still) in the cradle, (you are) His Word, which He sent down upon Mary, and (you are) the Spirit from Him; so intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us?' Jesus (peace be upon him) would say, 'Verily, the Lord is angry today as He had never been before or would ever be (so) angry afterward.' He mentioned no sin of his. (He simply said) 'I am concerned about myself, I am concerned about myself. You had better go to someone else; go to Muhammad (may peace be upon him).'

They would come to me and say, 'O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of Allah and the last of the apostles. Allah has pardoned all your previous and later sins. Intercede for us with your Lord. Don't you see what trouble we're in? Don't you see what (misfortune) has overtaken us?' I shall then set off and come before the throne and fall down prostrate before my Lord; then Allah would reveal to me and inspire me with some of His Praises and Glorifications which He had not revealed to anyone before me. He would then say, 'Muhammad, raise your head; ask and it would be granted; intercede, and intercession would be accepted.' I would then raise my head and say, 'O my Lord, my people, my people.' It would be said, 'O Muhammad, bring in by the right gate of Paradise those of your people who would have no account to render. They would share with the people some other door beside this door.' The Holy Prophet then said, 'By Him whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, verily, the distance between the two door leaves of the Paradise is as great as between Mecca and Hajar, or as between Mecca and Busra.'"

According to this hadith, neither Adam, Noah, Abraham nor Moses could intercede for humanity owing to sins which they had committed in their lives on earth. It thus seems strange that Muhammad, who is also depicted as having sins, would be able to make intercession for humanity, because all his sins would be forgiven. Why only Muhammad would have his sins forgiven is not explained. It is somewhat contradictory, especially in light of the fact that Jesus has no sins; He is sinless.

Anyone acquainted with the scriptures knows that an intercessor must be greater than those for whom he intercedes. The picture of a sinful man interceding for a sinful humanity comes off about as well as the blind leading the blind. We sinful humans do not need another sinful person to intercede for us. What we really need is a sinless intercessor!

The scriptures show quite clearly that Jesus is the only sinless prophet. As it is written in the Injil, He is the only intercessor for mankind:

"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not ours only, but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 1:8-2:2)

You, too, can accept Jesus as your Savior and Intercessor! If you do not, no one else will be able to help you at the Final Judgment.