If you feel guilt for your actions, do you feel God is angry with you? Don’t you want forgiveness? And if you feel that God won’t hear your prayers it would be nice to have someone who was close to God to pray for you, wouldn’t it? But what if that person, was not forgiven by God either? What if that person also needed prayer? Wouldn’t it be better to ask someone to pray for you who didn’t need forgiveness?
Are Muhammad’s Prayers for Muslims Effective?
Muslims rightly realize they need prayer. They want Muhammad to pray for them. But how can Muhammad intercede for and help those who follow his teaching? The Quran says, “Preach … to those who are concerned about the Day of Judgment . . . tell them that their only guardian and intercessor is God so that they may become pious” (Qs 6:51). Qs 32:4 also says, “…no one besides Him (God) is your intercessor.” Don’t these surahs mean there is no other intercessor but God?
Doesn’t Muhammad himself need prayer? Doesn’t the Quran ask his followers to pray for him in Qs 33:56? How can Muhammad intercede for others to be forgiven when he needs people to pray so that he himself will be forgiven (Qs. 4:64)?
The only one who can protect a person’s soul is Allah. Our souls are prone to sin, and without Allah, our souls will remain sinful and ruined. Even Muhammad can’t help our ruined souls.
Isa Al-Masih Intercedes for His Followers
In the Taurat, the priests interceded for the people, going before God for them. They asked God to forgive the Hebrew people’s sins (Taurat, Leviticus 1:5). The book of Hebrews clearly states that Jesus, the eternal Word of God, is now our new high priest, interceding for us. “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25).
The letter to the Romans also clearly states that Isa Al-Masih intercedes for God’s children. “And He (Isa) who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because He intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Letter to the Romans 8:27, NASB). Isa Al-Masih goes before God the Father in prayer for us.
Accounts of Isa Al-Masih Forgiving Sins
Isa Al-Masih forgives sin! There are many accounts of Him doing this in the Injil. One of these accounts is given in Mark 2:1-11. Some men brought their paralyzed friend to Isa to be healed. Isa Al-Masih healed the man, but before He did that, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Injil, Mark 2:5).
Another account is given in Luke 7:36-50, when Isa Al-Masih was eating dinner at a Pharisee’s house. While there, a woman came in and poured perfume on Isa’s feet and washed them.
The men eating with Isa judged the woman because she was a “sinner.” Much to the men’s surprise, Isa said to them, “You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’” (Injil, Luke 7:45-48).
How can Isa Al-Masih Forgive Sins?
You ask, how could Isa Al-Masih forgive sins? The second part of the passage in Hebrews that we already looked at explains this. It says, “Such a high priest (Isa Al-Masih) meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself [on the cross]” (Hebrews 7:26-27).
Muslims are convinced Muhammad needs the prayers of his followers and they pray for him that God will forgive him. This is not the case with the followers of Isa Al-Masih. They never pray for him!
Isa Al-Masih can forgive sins because He is the perfect high priest. He never sinned. He satisfied God’s requirement of a sacrifice for sin by becoming our sacrifice. Three days after He died, Isa rose again, defeating sin and death. His resurrection proves that He has the right to forgive sin. Isa Al-Masih’s death on the cross paid for our sins so that we can be forgiven.
[We invite you to visit us for further explanation about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa Al-Masih said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Jesus we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
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We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed. Please start a dialogue with us by focusing on one of the following questions:
1.) How do you ask forgiveness from Allah?
2.) How do you know that you are forgiven by Allah?
3.) After reading the article, would you come to Isa Al-Masih to ask for forgiveness? If yes, why? If no, why?
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jasmin says
29 October 2012 at 10:42 pm`
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khalid says
15 January 2013 at 6:04 pm`
Quoting from the article “And if you feel that God won’t hear your prayers.”
Is that what you believe? We don’t. We do believe that Allah is sees everything and hears everything, so Allah hears me well.
Second, who said that Mohammed (Peace be upon him) needs our praying?
jasmin says
17 January 2013 at 11:49 pm~
Khalid,
No, we do not believe that. The Taurat, Zabur, and Injil tell us over again that Allah hears our prayers. There are many instances where the prophets proved that Allah heard them through praying for something, and then what they prayed for happened immediately.
My favorite story is of the prophet Elijah, found in 1 Kings 18. The prophets of Baal challenged Elijah. Each side made an altar and put a sacrifice on it, then asked their God and gods to send fire down. The prophets of Baal prayed for hours, and nothing happened. Then Elijah covered his altar with water and asked Allah to send fire down. Immediately fire came and consumed the entire altar! This was proof that God hears our prayers.
Stefan says
6 February 2014 at 4:23 pm`
In terms of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) being an “intercessor” (go between) for his people, we need to read in order to study the Quran carefully in regards to his work, abilities and responsibilities for the believer for the judgement day:
Qs 41:43: “Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you…”
Qs 46:9: “Say: I am not the first of the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner”.
Qs 27:92: “… whoever strays – say, “I am only one of the warners.”
Qs 39:41: “And you are not a manager over them.”
Does Allah accepts intercession from any other human being for your sin?
Qs 2:48: “And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it,…” (so what about Muhammad?)
jasmin says
29 July 2014 at 6:28 pm~
Stefan,
You are right, that there is no person who can intercede for us. The only one who can go to Allah for us is Isa Al-Masih. “Therefore he [Isa Al-Masih] is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Hebrews 7:25).