مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿۱۱۳﴾ وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَنْ مَوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿۱۱۴﴾

﴾113﴿ Maa kaana lin nabiyyi wallazeena aamanooo 'any yastaghfiroo lil mushrikeena wa law kaanoo ulee qurbaa min ba'di maa tabiyana lahum annahum Ashaabul jaheem
﴾114﴿ 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

﴾113﴿ It is not permissible for the Prophet and the believers to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are their relatives, after it has been made clear to them that they are the people of Hell
﴾114﴿ And Abraham (peace be upon him) did not ask for forgiveness for his father except because of the promise he had made to him So when it became clear to Abraham (peace be upon him) that he was indeed an enemy of Allah Almighty, he became disgusted with him. Indeed, Abraham (peace be upon him) was indeed very soft-hearted and forbearing

[113] After the noble characteristics of the believers were mentioned, this verse presents a specific instruction for them: that it is not permissible for the Prophet (ﷺ) or the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists (mushrikīn).
This is a clear declaration of disavowal (barā’ah) from the disbelievers and their practices.
As for the well-known hadith: > “O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know” – the answer is: 1. That statement was made before this verse was revealed.
2. Another explanation is that the word "اغفر" (forgive) in the hadith actually means "اهدِ" (guide)—seeking guidance, not forgiveness in the absolute sense.
(مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ) This clarifies the ruling: once it has become clear, through the Qur’ān, that the disbelievers are destined for Hell, then asking forgiveness for them is prohibited.
This is consistent with: Surah al-Nisā’ (4:116) – “Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him...” Surah al-Mā’idah (5:72) – stating that those who die upon shirk are eternally in Hell.
This is the preferred explanation, and it also clarifies that: It is prohibited to seek forgiveness for a living polytheist in terms of pardon while they are upon disbelief. However, it is allowed to pray for their guidance, hoping they embrace Islam.
[114] This verse serves as a response to a potential question: If Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) sought forgiveness for his polytheist father, as mentioned in Surah Ibrāhīm (14:41) and Surah al-Shu‘arā’ (26:86), then how can seeking forgiveness for polytheists be prohibited?
Answer: It is clarified in this verse that Ibrāhīm only made that request due to a prior promise he had made to his father.
That promise is mentioned in: Surah Maryam (19:47) Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:4)
Then the question arises: Why did he make such a promise if his father was clearly a disbeliever?
(فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ) This phrase answers that: At the time of the promise, Ibrāhīm did not have certainty that his father would die upon disbelief.
When it became clear to him that his father was a clear enemy of Allah, he immediately stopped seeking forgiveness.
(لَأَوَّاهٌ) – This refers to Ibrāhīm’s soft-heartedness, and is connected to the promise he made to his father. (حَلِيمٌ) – Refers to his gentleness and patience, and is related to his act of seeking forgiveness, which was done with sincerity and hope—not stubbornness or defiance.
In summary: Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) did not seek forgiveness after it was clear his father died on disbelief. His earlier request was based on a promise made in hope, not a violation of divine command. Once truth became apparent, he fulfilled the promise only to the point that was still allowed—and stopped once it was no longer permissible.