My Thoughts on Intercession: A Bridge of Love and Mercy

This blog was born from a deeply personal moment—one that took me by surprise. I was sitting in a friend’s home when I suddenly broke down into tears. A wave of emotion crashed over me, a feeling that everything I had tried had not led to anything. As I shared my heart, my friend mentioned that he had recently attended a talk by Mr. Birkland (a former member of the Universal House of Justice) on the theme of intercession and how we can pray and ask people who have passed away and are now in the next world to intercede on our behalf when we face difficulties. Something about that conversation sparked a curiosity in me, and I found myself diving deep into this topic, reflecting on its profound role in our spiritual journey.

The Different Types of Intercession

Intercession, which is defined as “the action of intervening on behalf of another” is a profound mercy granted to us by God, and it unfolds in different ways. Baha’u’llah explains that there are multiple levels of intercession, each playing a unique role in the spiritual reality of our lives:

1. The Intercession of the Manifestations of God

The Manifestations of God are the supreme intercessors. They stand as the bridge between humanity and the Divine, pleading for God’s mercy and bestowing upon us the guidance we need to advance spiritually.

Baha’u’llah serves as the divine intermediary, helping humanity to know and approach God:

As regards your question: Baha’u’llah is, of course, not God and not the Creator; but through Him we can know God, and because of this position of Divine Intermediary, in a sense, He is all (or the other Prophets) we can ever know of that Infinite Essence which is God. Therefore, we address ourselves in prayer and thought to Him, or through Him to that Infinite Essence behind and beyond Him.¹

As it relates specifically to prayer, Shoghi Effendi further clarifies:

In regard to your question: we must not be rigid about praying; there is not a set of rules governing it; the main thing is we must start out with the right concept of God, the Manifestation, the Master, the Guardian—we can turn, in thought, to any one of them when we pray. For instance you can ask Baha’u’llah for something, or, thinking of Him, ask God for it. The same is true of the Master or the Guardian. You can turn in thought to either of them and then ask their intercession, or pray direct to God. As long as you don’t confuse their stations, and make them all equal, it does not matter much how you orient your thoughts.²

2. The Special Intercession Allowed in This Dispensation

O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept the intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one of the special infinite bestowals of this Dispensation.³

From my understanding of this prayer, Baha’u’llah doesn’t specify whether we can only intercede on behalf of our parents when they are in the next life, but it could also be in this life as well. The Bab says:

It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God’s call will be raised: ‘Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents shall be thy recompense!’ Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when communing with God.⁴

Abdu’l-Baha also emphasizes the duty of children to honour their parents in the next world through charitable acts and prayers:

Likewise, parents endure the greatest toil and trouble for their children, and often, by the time the latter have reached the age of maturity, the former have hastened to the world beyond. Rarely do the mother and father enjoy in this world the rewards of all the pain and trouble they have endured for their children. The children must therefore, in return for this pain and trouble, make charitable contributions and perform good works in their name, and implore pardon and forgiveness for their souls.⁵

3. The Intercession of Souls in the Next World on Our Behalf

Those who have passed on are closer to God and can, in turn, intercede on our behalf. The bonds of love and devotion that connected us in this world continue in the next, and those who have passed away can ask for divine favors on behalf of those still in this earthly plane.

Moreover, just as people are in need of God in this world, so too are they in need of Him in the next… The wealth of the next world consists in nearness to God. It is certain therefore that those who enjoy near access to the divine threshold are permitted to intercede, and that this intercession is approved in the sight of God.⁶

Abdu’l-Baha further clarifies:

The progress of the human spirit in the divine world, after its connection with the physical body has been severed, is either purely through the grace and bounty of the Lord, or through the intercession and prayers of other human souls, or through the significant contributions and charitable deeds which are offered in its name.⁶

Conclusion

The concept of intercession reminds us of the bonds that connect us across realms—the love that flows from the Manifestations to humanity, from children to parents, and from those in the next world to those still journeying through this one. Whether we pray for others, seek intercession, or ask for divine grace, we are participating in an eternal exchange of love and mercy.

1. From a letter dated 4 June 1951 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual believers [↩]
2. From a letter dated 24 July 1946 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer [↩]
3. Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayers [↩]
4. Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p.94 [↩]
5. Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions [↩]
6. Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions [↩] [↩]

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Nahal Haghbin

Nahal Haghbin is a certified Integrative Yoga Therapist based in Vancouver, BC, offering online and in-person meditation classes on the Seven Valleys & Yogic Chakras, as well as a 12-week breath program she created. With a background in tropical infectious disease control, she has contributed to global health efforts during outbreaks such as H7N9, MERS-CoV, and Ebola. Now, she is passionate about supporting others through the healing practices of yoga, breath work, and meditation.