Transliteration:( Wa maa kaanas tighfaaru ibraaheema li abeehi illaa 'an maw'idatinw wa 'adahaaa iyyaahu falammaa tabaiyana lahooo annahoo 'aduwwul lillaahi tabarra a minh; inna Ibraaheema la awwaahun haleem )
“And the seeking of forgiveness by Ibrahim for his father was only due to a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed, Ibrahim was most tenderhearted and forbearing.”
This verse was revealed in response to an incident where Hazrat Ali (رضي الله عنه) stopped a man from making dua of forgiveness for his polytheist father. The man argued that Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) had done the same for his own father. Hazrat Ali informed the Prophet ﷺ, and this verse clarified that Hazrat Ibrahim’s prayer had a specific reason, and was not an example for general practice.
(Tafseer Khazainul Irfaan)
Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) had promised his father (or uncle, Azar) to pray for him before the divine prohibition against such prayers. Some scholars say the promise was made on the understanding that Azar would eventually accept faith. While Azar did not fulfill this promise, Hazrat Ibrahim remained faithful to his word, until divine guidance clarified the ruling.
Once it became evident through revelation or clear signs that Azar was destined to die in disbelief, Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) ceased seeking forgiveness for him. This exemplifies the importance of aligning personal sentiments with divine command.
Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) not only stopped his dua, but also completely disassociated himself from Azar's disbelief. This affirms that while Islam values kinship, belief and loyalty to Allah take precedence. Emotional ties must not compromise religious principles.
Despite Azar being an enemy of faith, Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) displayed compassion, gentleness, and forbearance, embodying immense moral excellence. While some prophets like Nooh and Moosa (عليهم السلام) reflected awe-inspiring majesty, Ibrahim (عليه السلام) reflected divine mercy in his character.
The tafsir of Surah Taubah verse 114 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Taubah ayat 113 which provides the complete commentary from verse 113 through 114.
(9:114) And Abraham’s prayer for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise which he had made to him.[112] Then, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Surely Abraham was most tender-hearted, God-fearing, forbearing.[113]
112. The reference is to what Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) said when he broke off all connections with his father:
(1) “Peace be upon you. I will pray to my Lord to forgive you: for He is very kind to me”. (Surah Maryam, Ayat 47).
(2) “And forgive my father: indeed he is of those who have gone astray. And disgrace me not on the Day, when mankind shall be brought back to life; when neither riches nor children shall avail anyone, and none shall obtain salvation except the one who comes before his Lord with a sound and pure heart”. (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayat 86-89).
(3) “I will pray for your forgiveness, but I have no power to rescue you from Allah”. (Surah Al-Mumtahanah, Ayat 4).
In the first place it should be noted that even the wording and the tone of the prayer for his father were very guarded, but when Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) realized that the person for whom he was praying was an open rebel against Allah and a bitter enemy of His Way, he refrained himself from saying even such a guarded prayer for him and declared in clear words that he would have nothing to do with him in future, even though the rebel was his father who had brought him up with love and care.
113. The words awwah and haleem which the Quran uses for Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) are very comprehensive in meaning. Awwah is the one who is lamenting, humble, weeping, grief-stricken and God fearing. And haleem is the one who can keep control over himself under all circumstances, and is neither beside himself in anger and enmity nor transgresses the proper limits in his affections, friendships, and relationships. Here both the words have been used in their comprehensive senses. Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) prayed for his father because he was tender-hearted and lamented for him that he would become the fuel for the fire of Hell. As he had full control over himself, and was very forbearing, he prayed even for that father who had persecuted him cruelly in order to hinder him from the way of Islam. Lastly, he was God fearing and did not want to go beyond the limits in his love for his father; so he broke off all his relations with his father when he realized that he was an enemy of Allah.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics