يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِۦ مُشْفِقُونَ Qur’an Al-Anbiya (21:28)YaAAlamu m a bayna aydeehim wam a khalfahum wal a yashfaAAoona ill a limani irta da wahum min khashyatihi mushfiqoon a
See note [247] on 2:255 .
Cf. 19:87 and 20:109 . Regarding the problem of "intercession" as such, see note [7] on 10:3 .
Cf. xx. 109. Those who have conformed to the Will of Allah and obeyed His Law, thus winning the stamp of His approval.
They: the usual interpretation refers the pronoun to the servants of Allah who intercede: it may also refer to those on whose behalf intercession is made: they do not take it as a matter of course, but stand in due awe and reverence of Allah's great glory and mercy.