Question

Javed Aḥmad Ghamidi once said, during our chat, that Ibrahim (sws) was told by God not to pray for his father as he is a rejecter. But it appears that in Sūrah Ibrāhīm verse 41, the Prophet Ibrahim again asks God to forgive his parents. To me the time period of the latter is later than the first. Can you explain this please? Also kindly give me the reference of the sūrah where God stops Ibrahim (sws) from praying for his father.

Answer

The Holy Qur’ān variously mentions the incident of Abraham’s promise to his father about praying to God for his forgiveness. It also mentions the prayer:

He said: Peace be to you! I shall ask forgiveness of my Lord for you. Lo! He was ever gracious to me. [19:47]

The Qur’ān does not mention verses clearly forbidding Abraham from praying for his father. However, some of the Qur’ānic verses indicate the fact:

It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it has become clear that they are people of hell-fire. The prayer of Abraham for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise he had given him, but when it had become clear to him that he (his father) was an enemy to Allah, he (Abraham) disowned him. Lo! Abraham was soft of heart, long suffering. [9:113–4]

It is stated as a principle that none of the Prophets (sws) could pray for the polytheists when it became clear that they had rejected the divine message after being convinced of its truth. But the Prophet Abraham (sws) prayed for his father. The very next verse explains the reason why he did so in the first place. He had given his word to his father; therefore, he prayed. It seems that he was then forbidden, and he readily accepted it, as he was always first to surrender before God.

Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

Edited by: Mushfiq Sultan

Date: 2015-01-10