مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى قُرْبَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
"It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for those who associate partners with God, even if they be kin, after it has become clear to them that they are of the fire."
| Qualification | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wa law kānū ulī qurbā | Kinship is no exception |
| Min baʿdi mā tabayyana lahum | Only after it has become clear |
Without the second qualification the ruling cannot be understood, and I record this as my own reading: the prohibition is placed not on praying itself but on its being continued after the situation has become clear.
وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ (114)
Fa-lammā tabayyana lahū — the same verb, a second time. Abraham's praying was the requirement of a word given; when the situation became clear he left off.
In Maryam at 19/47 Abraham's saying to his father sa-astaghfiru laka rabbī was treated, and it was recorded there: the one driven away departs saying he will pray for the one who drove him away. This verse states the end of that word. Read together, the two sūras complete the picture.
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌ — awwāh: root أ-و-ه — derived from the sound "āh"; the lexicographers explain it as one deeply moved, full of pity, praying with a groan. The word occurs also in Hūd at 11/75 (inna Ibrāhīma la-ḥalīmun awwāhun munīb) and was treated there; I rely on that treatment.
I record this as an observation: immediately after issuing the ruling to leave off praying, the verse describes the one who leaves off praying as "deeply moved." The ruling, that is, does not come from a want of mercy.
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًۢا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ (115) — and a third time the same root: ḥattā yubayyina lahum.
The root bayān (ب-ي-ن) occurs three times in three verses (113, 114, 115). This is a repetition verifiable within the sūra, and I record it as my own reading: in all three places the ruling is tied to the condition of clarity — no one is held responsible for what he does not know, and no one is left in an unclarified situation.