Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: “I swear by God, as long as I am not
forbidden, I will continue to seek divine forgiveness for you.” At that time
Almighty Allah revealed the verse of:
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِي وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists…”1
And a verse was revealed about Abu Talib and He said to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.):
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ اعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
“Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way.”2
Muslim has narrated this report in his Sahih3 through the channels of Saeed
bin Musayyab and most exegesists, due to good expectation from Bukhari and
Muslim and their books, have followed these two.
Problems in this report
1. Saeed, who has alone narrated this report, is from those, who had
divulged enmity for Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), that is why his statement or
fabrication regarding His Eminence, his father, progeny or relatives, cannot be
taken as evidence, because to make allegations against them was his favorite past
time.4
What Ibne Hazm has narrated in Mahalli5 from Qatada will explain to you
about Saeed bin Musayyab and the extent of his precaution in religion of Allah.
Qatada says: I asked Saeed: “Shall we pray behind Hajjaj?” He replied: “Indeed,
we pray behind one, who is worse than him.”
2. The apparent connotation of the report of Sahih Bukhari is that those two
verses were revealed one after another at the time of passing away of Abu Talib
as there is a clear report regarding each of the two verses, the revelation of both
verses is at that time.
But this is not correct, because the second verse was revealed in Mecca, and
the first, according to consensus of all exegesists, was revealed in Medina after
conquest of Mecca and this verse is present in Surah Taubah and Surah Taubah is
Medinite and was the last Surah to be revealed.6 Thus, there is a gap of ten years
between the revelation of the two verses.
3. The verse, which prohibits seeking forgiveness for polytheists, was
revealed in Medina after a period of more than eight years after demise of Abu
Talib. And the verse is based on the statement of His Eminence in this traditional
report:
“I swear by God, as long as I am not prohibited, I will continue to seek
divine forgiveness for you.”
During this period, he continued to seek forgiveness for Abu Talib (a.s.)?
But how did he seek forgiveness for him, whereas he and believers had the verse
since long before:
ۖ لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًۭا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍۢ مِّنْهُ
“You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter
day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His
Apostle, even though they were their (own) fathers, or their
sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into
whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has
strengthened with an inspiration from Him…”7
Prohibiting friendship and affections to polytheists and hypocrites and
seeking divine forgiveness for them – which is among the most implication of
friendship and affection? This is the twenty-second verse of Surah Mujadila and
on the basis of what is mentioned in Al-Itqan,8 Surah Mujadila was revealed in
Medina before revelation of seven Surahs before Surah Taubah.
Ibne Abi Hatim,9 Tibrani, Hakim, Abu Nuaim, Baihaqi, Ibne Kathir,10
Shaukani,11 Alusi12 have mentioned that: This verse was revealed in the Battle of
Badr in the third Hijri, or on the basis of what is mentioned in some exegeses, it
was revealed on the day of Uhad.
As Halabi has written in Seerah13 that: According to general consensus, this
battle took place in the third year Hijri, thus this verse was revealed a few years
before the revelation of the verse of seeking forgiveness.