{And how many an angel in the heavens whose intercession does not avail at all}

The frustration of their hope regarding the intercession of the angels, upon whom be peace, which they had anticipated, necessitates by way of priority the frustration of their hope regarding the intercession of the idols.

"And how many" (wa kam) is a declarative particle denoting abundance (khabariyyah), in the nominative case as an initial subject (mubtada'), and the predicate is the negated sentence that follows. The use of the plural pronoun in "their intercession" (shafa'atihim), despite the singular form of "angel" (malak), is based on the meaning; that is, many angels do not avail anything—not the slightest avail—before Allah, the Exalted, at any time.

{Except after Allah gives permission} to them to intercede {for whom He wills}—that they may intercede for him—{and is pleased with} him, and deems him—Glory be to Him—worthy of intercession, being among the people of monotheism and faith. As for those other than them, from among the people of disbelief and transgression, they are far removed from the permission of Allah, the Exalted, separated from it by a million stages.

It has been suggested that the intended meaning is: "Except after Allah gives permission to whom He wills from among the angels to intercede, and He, the Almighty and Majestic, deems him worthy of it." In either case, the meaning is that if such is the state of the angels regarding intercession, what then of their assumption regarding the state of the idols? The discourse here is akin to the saying:

Upon a path where even the lighthouse provides no guidance.

Thus, the summary is that there is no intercession for them, nor any avail, without Allah, the Glorified, granting permission, and so on. It is also said: This is presented by way of supposition (fard), and therefore it does not contradict the saying of the Exalted, "Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?"

Zayd ibn Ali read it as "his intercession" (shafa'atuhu) in the singular form of the noun and the pronoun; Ibn Miqsam read it as "their intercessions" (shafa'atuhum) in the plural, which is the choice of the author of al-Kamil, Abu al-Qasim al-Hudhali. The majority read "intercession" (shafa'ah) in the singular. Abu Hayyan said: This is because it is a verbal noun, and because even if all of them were to intercede for one person, their intercession would not avail anything.