In the Presence of the King

The notions of intermediation and intercession play a central role in the theology of monotheistic religions. In the Islamic context, the specific doctrine connected to the intermediation (wasīla, wāsiṭa) and intercession of the Prophet Muḥammad towards God (shafāʿa, tawassul), particularly on the Day of Judgement, is widely attested in the primary sources of Islam. The eschatological function of the Prophet is represented in these sources through a series of royal metaphors, connected to his ra