Intercession should not be taken as a license for committing...

Intercession should not be taken as a license for committing sins nor should it make one heedless of repentance. Suicide in the Hope of Salvation To sin and not to repent in the hope of intercession is akin to consuming poison or putting ones hand in the snake’s mouth with the hope that a doctor would arrive and cure you. It is against logic, because after consuming poison it cannot be taken for granted that medical assistance would be available.

Even if a doctor and medicines arrive on time it is still difficult to say that life would be saved. Before the medicine could have any effect the poison may spread to the whole body and death may occur. In the same way, one who performs lewd actions in the hope that he would be interceded after death; cannot be sure that intercession will come to the rescue immediately.

Death is of Three Types Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s.) has related from his forefathers that Amir ul-Mu’minīn ‘Ali (a.s.) was queried by someone about death. He replied, “You have come to the knowledgeable (personality).” “Death occurs to a person in one of the Three ways: He is given the good news of everlasting bounties, or informed of the never-ending retribution or he remains in a perpetual state of terror and fear.

His affair remains undecided and unpredictable, and it is not known about the kind of future that awaits him. Then (you must know) that our devotee who is obedient of our command and does not sin, is given the good news of everlasting bounties. But our opponent shall forever be involved in Divine punishment. And the person who has been unjust to his soul and who has abused it will be found in an unsure condition. Unaware of what the future will hold.

Such a person is a sinner whose death will be accompanied with terror and fear. But Allah will not consider him on the same level as our enemy. Rather he would be removed from Hell because of our intercession. Then, act (rightly) and obey the commandments of Allah.