9. Surah At Tawbah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلاَّ عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ...   

9: 114. And Abraham prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him.

C1365. Abraham and his unbelieving father are referred to in 6:74.

Apparently when Abraham was convinced that the conditions mentioned in the last note applied to his father, he gave up praying for him, as the physical bond was cut off by the spiritual hostility. For the promise to pray for his father, see 19:47.

... فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ... 

But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him:

... إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿١١٤﴾  

for Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing.

C1366. Abraham was loyal and tender-hearted, and bore with much that he disapproved, being in this a prototype of Al-Mustafa, and it must have gone against his grain to cut off relations in that way.

But it would obviously be wrong for a human being to entreat Allah for mercy on people who had finally rejected Allah.

Pickthall’s Version:

9: 114

Pickthall The prayer of Abraham for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise he had promised him, but when it had become clear unto him that he (his father) was an enemy to Allah he (Abraham) disowned him. Lo! Abraham was soft of heart, long-suffering.

Transliteration Wa ma_ ka_na-stigfa_ru ibra_hima li abihi illa_ 'am mau'idatiw wa'adaha_ iyya_h(u), falamma_ tabayyana lahu_ annahu_ 'aduwwul lilla_hi tabarra'a minh(u), inna ibra_hima la awwa_hun halim(un).

[[Ali’s notes - 1365 Abraham and his unbelieving father are referred to in vi. 74. Apparently when Abraham was convinced that the conditions mentioned in the last note applied to his father, he gave up praying for him, as the physical bond was cut off by the spiritual hostility. For the promise to pray for his father, see xix. 47. (9.114)

1366 Abraham was loyal and tender-hearted, and bore with much that he disapproved, being in this a prototype of Al-Mustafa, and it must have gone against his grain to cut off relations in that way. But it would obviously be wrong for a human being to entreat Allah for mercy on people who had finally rejected Allah. (9.114)]]