26 Preface ۞ وَكَم مِن مَلَكٍ فِي السَّماواتِ لا تُغني شَفاعَتُهُم شَيئًا إِلّا مِن بَعدِ أَن يَأذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشاءُ وَيَرضىٰYusuf AliHow many-so-ever be the angels in the heavens,1 their intercession will avail nothing except after God has given2 leave for whom He pleases and that he is acceptable to Him.We are apt to imagine the angelic host of heaven as beings of immense power. But their power is all derived from God. Men, when they attain to the highest spiritual dignities, may have even more power and position than angels in the sight of God, as is typified by angels bidden to bow down to Adam: 2:34. The Quraish superstition about angels being intermediaries and intercessors for man with God is condemned.Cf. 20:109 and 21:28. No one can intercede except with the permission of God, and that permission will only be given for one who is acceptable to God. For a possible different shade of meaning, see n. 2634 to 20:109.