Abstract

Shafa’at, the root of which is Shafa’a meaning assistance and requesting, is a significant issue in Islamic thought and has long been discussed extensively by scholars. Although Quranic verses on intercession clearly show that it is a conditioned issue, all Islamic denominations have accepted its core concept while differing in terms of its manner. Providing the definitions of intercession, Muslim thinkers’ view about it and related Quranic verses and traditions, the present paper discusses the related criticisms of intercession through description and analysis and answers them. In addition, it explains its educational effects and exposes its reflection in the poems of some prominent Persian poets.