Seeking Forgiveness for Others
Did the Prophet (PBUH) seek forgiveness for others in the Quran?
In certain verses of Surah An-Nur, Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to seek forgiveness on behalf of others. In other verses, he is instructed to pray for the forgiveness of believing men and women, including those who have committed sins. However, the Quran also explains that the Prophet's (PBUH) request for forgiveness will not benefit hypocrites unless they repent, in which case, if the Prophet (PBUH) prays for them, Allah will grant them forgiveness.
Commentators interpret the Prophet’s (PBUH) intercession for others as a sign of his compassion and kindness toward them. Shaykh Tusi views the Prophet’s (PBUH) seeking forgiveness as an act of grace that brings about Allah's mercy. These verses support the concept of intercession.
According to Quranic verses, other prophets, including Abraham (AS), Jacob (AS), and Moses (AS), also sought forgiveness for others, including believers and certain family members. The Quran also mentions angels seeking forgiveness for humans and believers seeking forgiveness for each other.
The Prophet's (PBUH) Seeking Forgiveness for Others
Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Quran to seek forgiveness for others: ﴾اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمُ اللَّهَ﴿. Additionally, the Prophet is advised to seek forgiveness for believing men and women[1], sinners[2], and believing women who came forward to pledge allegiance to him.[3] In other verses, the Quran states that seeking forgiveness for hypocrites[4] is ineffective because they do not believe in forgiveness[5]; however, if they repent and the Prophet (PBUH) prays for their forgiveness, Allah will grant it.[6]
Commentators see the Prophet's (PBUH) intercession as a reflection of his compassion and mercy.[7] Shaykh Tusi (385–460 AH) interprets the Prophet's (PBUH) prayers for forgiveness as an act of grace that brings Allah's forgiveness to the people.[8] These verses affirm the concept of intercession.[9]
The Prophets' (AS) Seeking Forgiveness for Others
The Quran recounts the prayers for forgiveness offered by several prophets on behalf of others, including those close to them:
- Prophet Abraham (AS): sought forgiveness for his father (or uncle).[10]
- Prophet Moses (AS): prayed for his brother’s[11] forgiveness and for certain people among the Israelites.[12]
- Prophet Noah (AS): asked forgiveness for his son, but Allah did not accept this prayer.[13] He also prayed for his parents and for some believing men and women.[14]
- Prophet Jacob (AS): sought forgiveness for his children.[15]
The Angels’ Seeking Forgiveness for Believers
The Quran mentions the angels' prayers for the forgiveness of believing servants in two surahs:
Believers Seeking Forgiveness for Each Other
Some Muslims pray for forgiveness for themselves and for one another.[18] Commentators believe that this verse applies to all Muslims.[19] Imam Ali (AS) also prayed for others’ forgiveness.[20]
References
- ↑ Sūrat Muḥammad, Verse 19.
- ↑ Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, Verse 159.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Mumtaḥanah, Verse 12.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Tawbah, Verses 80 and 113, Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn, Verses 5–6.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Fatḥ, Verse 11.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, Verse 60.
- ↑ Ṭabarsī, Faḍl ibn Ḥasan, Tafsīr Jawāmiʿ al-Jāmiʿ, trans. Aḥmad Amīrī Shādmahri, Mashhad, Bunyād Pizhūhish-hā-yi Islāmī Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, 1375 SH, vol. 1, p. 560.
- ↑ Ṭūsī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1st ed., vol. 7, p. 466.
- ↑ Fāḍil Mūḥiddī Lankarānī, Muḥammad, Akhlāq Fāḍil, Qom, Markaz Fiqhī Aʾimmah al-Aṭhār (ʿa), 1389 SH, vol. 1, p. 259.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Mumtaḥanah, Verse 4.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, Verse 151.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, Verse 155.
- ↑ Sūrat Hūd, Verse 45–47.
- ↑ Sūrat Nūḥ, Verse 28.
- ↑ Sūrat Yūsuf, Verse 97–98.
- ↑ Sūrat Ghāfir, Verse 7.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Shūrā, Verse 5.
- ↑ Sūrat al-Ḥashr, Verse 10.
- ↑ Makāram Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr Nemūneh, Tehran, Intishārāt, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1374 SH, vol. 23, p. 522.
- ↑ Nahj al-Balāghah, khuṭbah 197.