Is it true that the verse: "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then indeed I am near" is the only one in the Qur'an that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not answer by omitting "Say"? And does the omission of "Say" in this verse prevent seeking intercession through the Prophet (peace be upon him), and is the supplication mentioned therein considered an act of obedience or intercession?

The general Sunnah in the Quran is to answer the questions of the servants with the word "Qul" (Say). However, the answer may sometimes come without it due to the context, as in His Almighty's saying: "They ask you concerning the Hour, when will be its appointed time..." (7:187), compared to another verse where "Qul" is mentioned.

In the verse: "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then indeed I am near..." (2:186), the word "Qul" was omitted for brevity and to imply that Allah Himself took charge of the answer, indicating the extreme closeness of the servant to his Lord in the state of supplication, and negating any intermediary between Allah and His servants.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah points out that the Companions asked the Prophet about rulings, and Allah commanded him to answer them with "Qul." However, when they asked him about Allah Himself, He did not say "Then say," but rather, He said: "Indeed I am near; I respond to the invocation of the supplicant," emphasizing Allah's closeness to His servants.