On the other hand...

On the other hand, if being secured from punishment, which is a requisite for intercession, is just, sentencing one to punishment before the establishment of intercession would be unjust. Response 4: All of God’s sentences, either in punishment before intercession or in releasing from punishment after, is in line with justice and wisdom. However, the point that both of them are wise and just does not mean the togetherness of two contradictory points, as their subjects are different.

This means that being sentenced to punishment, irrespective of the conditions, which cause intercession and its being accepted in relation to a sinner, is the outcome of committing sins, just as receiving security from punishment follows its own conditions. Change in a decree due to change in its conditions has been frequently used in canonical and creational laws and regulations.

Moreover, the fact that an abolished decree, was considered just at the time of its issue, does not contradict with the decree that replaces it. Similarly, the wisdom behind both the approval of disasters -pre-prayers and almsgiving- and their removal -after prayers and almsgiving- is undeniable. In the same way, the decree towards forgiving sins issued after intercession does not contradict the decree towards punishment pre-intercession.

Doubt 5: Almighty God has mentioned that the followers of Satan will certainly be punished in Hell: “Indeed as for My servants you do not have any authority over them, except the perverse who follow you, and indeed hell is the tryst of them all” (al-Hijr:43) Therefore, punishing the sinful in the Hereafter is in fact a Divine decree and as we know, such traditions cannot be abrogated or replaced.

“You will never find any change in Allah’s precedent, and you will never find any revision in Allah’s precedent” (Fātir:43) How is it possible for such a decree to change as a result of intercession? Response 5: Accepting intercession for those sinners who possess the necessary qualifications is one of the unchangeable Divine decrees.

In other words, Divine decrees are affected by real norms and standards, and should the conditions for occurrence or non-occurrence of a decree exist, it would be unchangeable. However, the words, which express such decrees, do not often include all the relevant limitations and conditions, as it is possible to find verses which on the surface relate to certain decrees, but in reality they represent a specific case.