Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatah. Shaykh, is this hadith authentic? If it is authentic, then does it imply about the mureeds as the Sufis say, that the mureed (disciple) of such and such shaykh will not enter hellfire... or that their peer will save them by interceding on their behalf? The hadith is the following: Ibn Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said that a scholar will be told that he could intercede on behalf of his disciples even if their number matches the number of stars.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Verily, the Sufi shaykhs and mureeds (disciples) and every human being can never dispense with the mercy of Allaah, The Exalted; none of the shaykhs can claim that he shall be admitted to Paradise, let alone claiming that he will intercede with Allaah for his disciples to be saved from Hellfire! Indeed, this is absolutely untrue and groundless. All Muslims, be it a shaykh or a disciple, should attach their hearts to Allaah, The Exalted, alone and know that it is Him Who facilitates their carrying out of good deeds and safeguards them from evils and sins. Allaah, The Exalted, alone is the One Who brings benefit or harm; He is The Abaser and The Exalter, and none can intercede with Him except with His permission. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means):

- {...and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves...} [Quran 21:28]

- {...Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?} [Quran 2:225]

- {And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except (only) after Allaah has permitted (it) to whom He wills and approves.} [Quran 53:26]

Hence, all Muslims, shaykhs and disciples alike, should strive in carrying out righteous deeds, seeking the help of their Lord and attaching their hearts to none but Him while knowing that none and nothing can ever save them from His punishment save His grace and mercy.

As for the hadeeth to which the questioner referred, we could not find such a hadeeth attributable to the Prophet .

Allaah knows best.