Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … In reality, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam requested intercession from Allah Almighty for his ummah on the Day of Resurrection, as is evident from the following words of the hadith: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu, who says: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed one night and recited a single verse until morning, bowing and prostrating with it {إِنْ تُعَذِّبْہُمْ فَإِنَّہُمْ عِبَادُکَ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَہُمْ فَإِنَّکَ أَ نْتَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ۔}. When morning came, I said: O Messenger of Allah! You continued to recite this one verse until morning, bowing and prostrating with it? He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed, I asked my Lord, Mighty and Majestic, for intercession for my ummah, and He granted it to me, and it will, insha Allah, reach everyone who does not associate anything with Allah, Mighty and Majestic.” … The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed one night and continued the cycle of bowing and prostrating with the recitation of a single verse until morning. That verse was: {إِنْ تُعَذِّبْہُمْ فَإِنَّہُمْ عِبَادُکَ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَہُمْ فَإِنَّکَ أَ نْتَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ۔}. When morning came, I said: O Messenger of Allah! You kept reciting the same verse until morning, bowing and prostrating with it? He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: I asked my Lord for intercession on behalf of my ummah, and Allah Almighty fulfilled my request. Now, insha Allah, every person who does not associate anything with Allah Almighty will be included in this intercession. (Musnad Ahmad: 5/149)

In this verse, there is both an expression of the servants’ humility and helplessness before Allah Almighty, and a declaration of Allah’s greatness and majesty, and His being absolutely powerful and completely sovereign. Then, in reference to both these matters, there is also a plea for pardon and forgiveness. Subhan Allah! What a wondrous and eloquent verse it is. The meaning is: O Allah! All their affairs are entrusted to Your will, for You do whatever You will, and there is none to question You, while You can question everyone.

In fact, with this verse, ‘Isa radi Allahu anhu will respond on the Day of Resurrection. The correct meaning of this is understood from the following context of the verse:
{وَاِذْ قَالَ اللّٰہُ یٰعِیْسَی ابْنَ مَرْیَمَ ء َاَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوْنِیْ وَاُمِّیَ اِلٰہَیْنِ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰہِ قَالَ سُبْحٰنَکَ مَا یَکُوْنُ لِیْٓ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ مَا لَیْسَ لِیْ ٓ بِحَقٍّ اِنْ کُنْتُ قُلْتُہ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَہ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِیْ نَفْسِیْ وَلَآ اَعْلَمُ مَا فِیْ نَفْسِکَ اِنَّکَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُیُوْبِo مَا قُلْتُ لَہُمْ اِلَّا مَآ اَمَرْتَنِیْ بِہٖٓاَنِاعْبُدُوا اللّٰہَ رَبِّیْ وَرَبَّکُمْ وَکُنْتُ عَلَیْہِمْ شَہِیْدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِیْہِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّیْتَنِیْ کُنْتَ اَنْتَ الرَّقِیْبَ عَلَیْہِمْ واَنْتَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیْء ٍ شَہِیْدٌ۔ اِنْ تُعَذِّبْہُمْ فَاِنَّہُمْ عِبَادُکَ وَاِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَہُمْ فَاِنَّکَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَکِیْمُo} (Surah al-Ma’idah: 116–118) And [mention] when Allah will say: O ‘Isa son of Maryam! Did you say to the people: Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah? He will say: Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to say. If I had said it, You would surely have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, You are the Knower of the unseen. I said not to them except what You commanded me: Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are Witness over all things. If You punish them, indeed they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, indeed You alone are the Mighty, the Wise.