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Ayah
Word by Word
وَمَا
And not
كَانَ
was
ٱسۡتِغۡفَارُ
(the) asking of forgiveness
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ
(by) Ibrahim
لِأَبِيهِ
for his father
إِلَّا
except
عَن
because
مَّوۡعِدَةٖ
(of) a promise
وَعَدَهَآ
he had promised it
إِيَّاهُ
(to) him
فَلَمَّا
But when
تَبَيَّنَ
it became clear
لَهُۥٓ
to him
أَنَّهُۥ
that he
عَدُوّٞ
(was) an enemy
لِّلَّهِ
to Allah
تَبَرَّأَ
he disassociated
مِنۡهُۚ
from him
إِنَّ
Indeed
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ
Ibrahim
لَأَوَّـٰهٌ
(was) compassionate
حَلِيمٞ
forbearing
وَمَا
And not
كَانَ
was
ٱسۡتِغۡفَارُ
(the) asking of forgiveness
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ
(by) Ibrahim
لِأَبِيهِ
for his father
إِلَّا
except
عَن
because
مَّوۡعِدَةٖ
(of) a promise
وَعَدَهَآ
he had promised it
إِيَّاهُ
(to) him
فَلَمَّا
But when
تَبَيَّنَ
it became clear
لَهُۥٓ
to him
أَنَّهُۥ
that he
عَدُوّٞ
(was) an enemy
لِّلَّهِ
to Allah
تَبَرَّأَ
he disassociated
مِنۡهُۚ
from him
إِنَّ
Indeed
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ
Ibrahim
لَأَوَّـٰهٌ
(was) compassionate
حَلِيمٞ
forbearing
Translation
And the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to him [i.e., Abraham] that he [i.e., the father] was an enemy to Allāh, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
Tafsir
Abraham's prayer for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise he had made to him, when he said to him, I will ask my Lord forgiveness for you [Q. 19:47], in the hope that he would submit [to God]; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, upon his death as an disbeliever, he declared himself innocent of him, and refrained from asking forgiveness for him; truly Abraham was soft of heart, making frequent entreaty and supplication [to God], forbearing, enduring harm patiently.
"The Prohibition of supplicating for Polytheists
Allah
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ أُوْلِي قُرْبَى مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the Mushrikin, even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief).
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Al-Musayyib said that his father Al-Musayyib said,
""When Abu Talib was dying, the Prophet went to him and found Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah present.
The Prophet said,
أَيْ عَمِّ قُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاِّ اللهُ كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُّ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل
O uncle! Say, `La ilaha illa-llah,' a word concerning which I will plea for you with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.
Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah said, `O Abu Talib! Would you leave the religion of Abdul-Muttalib!'
Abu Talib said, `Rather, I will remain on the religion of Abdul-Muttalib.'
The Prophet said,
لَاأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ مَا لَمْ أُنْهَ عَنْك
I will invoke Allah for forgiveness for you, as long as I am not prohibited from doing so.
This verse was revealed,
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ أُوْلِي قُرْبَى مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the Mushrikin, even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire.)
Concerning Abu Talib, this Ayah was revealed,
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَأءُ
Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills."" (28:56)
This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Sulayman bin Buraydah said that his father said,
""When the Prophet came to Makkah, he went to a grave, sat next to it, started talking and then stood up with tears in his eyes. We said, `O Allah's Messenger! We ﷺ what you did.'
He said,
إِنِّي اسْتَأْذَنْتُ رَبِّي فِي زِيَارَةِ قَبْرِ أُمِّي فَأَذِنَ لِي وَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِي الاْسْتِغْفَارِ لَهَا فَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لِي
I asked my Lord for permission to visit the grave of my mother and He gave me permission. I asked for His permission to invoke Him for forgiveness for her, but He did not give me permission.
We never ﷺ him more tearful than on that day.""'
Al-Awfi narrated from Ibn Abbas about Allah's statement,
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ
(It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the Mushrikin,
""The Prophet wanted to invoke Allah for forgiveness for his mother, but Allah did not allow him. The Prophet said,
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلّم قَدِ اسْتَغْفَرَ لاَِبِيه
Ibrahim, Allah's Khalil, invoked Allah for his father.
Allah revealed
وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لاَِبِيهِ إِلاَّ عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ
And Ibrahim's invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness was only because of a promise he (Ibrahim) had made to him (his father).""
Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated that Ibn Abbas commented on this Ayah,
""They used to invoke Allah for them (pagans) until this Ayah was revealed. They then refrained from invoking Allah to forgive the dead among them, but were not stopped from invoking Allah for the living among them until they die. Allah sent this Ayah,
وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لاَِبِيهِ
(And Ibrahim's invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness was only...).""
Allah said next,
فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ
But when it became clear to him (Ibrahim) that he (his father) is an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him.
Ibn Abbas commented,
""Ibrahim kept asking Allah to forgive his father until he died, when he realized that he died as an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him.""
In another narration, he said,
""When his father died he realized that he died as an enemy of Allah.""
Similar was said by Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and several others.
Ubayd bin `Umayr and Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
""Ibrahim will disown his father on the Day of Resurrection, but he will meet his father and see dust and fatigue on his face. He will say, `O Ibrahim! I disobeyed you, but today, I will not disobey you.'
Ibrahim will say, `O Lord! You promised me that You will not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected. What more disgrace than witnessing my father being disgraced!'
He will be told, `Look behind you,' where he will see a bloody hyena -- for his father will have been transformed into that -- and it will be dragged from its feet and thrown in the Fire.""'
Allah's statement,
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لاوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ
Verily, Ibrahim was Awwah and was forbearing.
According to Abdullah bin Mas`ud,
means, he invoked Allah always,
Several narrations report this from Ibn Mas`ud.
It was also said that, `Awwah', means,
`who invokes Allah with humility', `merciful', `who believes with certainty', `who praises (Allah)', and so forth."
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