Asking for forgiveness for those who have associated [9:113]

“It is not for the Prophet and those, who believed to ask forgiveness for the associates (mushrikeen), even if they were their relatives, after it became clear to them, that they are the companions of the Hellfire.” [At-Tawbah 9:113]

ما كان للنبي والذين آمنوا أن يستغفروا للمشركين ولو كانوا أولي قربى من بعد ما تبين لهم أنهم أصحاب الجحيم

Al-Hasan reported that the Muslims asked the Prophet (s.): “Do you not ask forgiveness for our fathers, who have died in ignorance?” Therefore God descended this verse (9:113). [Al-Burhan of Al-Bahrani, vol. 3 page 510]

عن الحسن أن المسلمين قالوا للنبي صلى الله عليه وآله: ألا تستغفر لآبائنا الذين ماتوا في الجاهلية فأنزل الله سبحانه هذه الآية

Harith Ibn Mughirah reported that he asked Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “Did the Messenger of God (s.) say: “Whoever died, while not recognising his Imam, died a death of ignorance?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “An ignorance of the ignorant or an ignorance of the one, who does not recognise his Imam?” He said: “An ignorance of disbelief and hypocrisy and misguidance.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 1 page 235 Hadith 3]

أحمد بن إدريس عن محمد بن عبد الجبار عن صفوان عن الفضيل عن الحارث بن المغيرة قال قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: من مات لا يعرف إمامه مات ميتة جاهلية؟ قال: نعم، قلت: جاهلية جهلاء أو جاهلية لا يعرف إمامه؟ قال جاهلية كفر ونفاق وضلال

Ali Ibn Ja’far reported that he asked Imam Al-Kazim (a.): “What about a Muslim person whose parents are disbelievers? Is it alright for him to ask forgiveness for both of them in prayer?” He said: “If he left them while he was younger and does not know whether they became Muslims or not, then there is no problem in that, but if he experienced their disbelief, then he does not pray for forgiveness for them and if he did not experience it, then he should pray for them.” [Qurb-ul-Isnad of Al-Himyari, page 286 Hadith 1131]

عبد الله بن الحسن عن جده علي بن جعفر عن أخيه موسى بن جعفر عليهم السلام قال: وسألته عن رجل مسلم وأبواه كافران هل يصلح ان يستغفر لهما في الصلاة؟ قال: إن كان فارقهما وهو صغير لا يدري أسلما أم لا فلا بأس وإن عرف كفرهما فلا يستغفر لهما وإن لم يعرف فليدع لهما

Ishaq ibn Ammar reported that he asked Imam Al-Kazim (a.): “Does the supplication benefit the dead?” He said: “Yes, even if he is with certainty in a narrow place, on this he is given space and if he is angered, then one is well pleased with him.” I said: “Does he also know who made supplication for him?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “Even if they were the enemies (Nawasib)?” He said: “By God, it benefits them. It gives them relief.” [Mustadrak-ul-Wasa’il of An-Nuri, Volume 5 page 321 Hadith 5990]

كتاب درست بن أبي منصور عن إسحاق بن عمار قال قلت لأبي الحسن عليه السلام: الدعاء ينفع الميت؟ قال: نعم حتى أنه ليكون في ضيق فيوسع عليه، ويكون مسخوطا على فيرضى عنه قال: قلت: فيعلم من دعا له؟ قال: نعم، قال: قلت: فإن كانا ناصبيين؟ قال: فقال: ينفعهما والله ذاك، يخفف عنهما

Ma’mar Ibn Khallad reported, that he asked Imam Ar-Rida (a.): “Do I make supplications for my parents if they did not use to know the truth?” He said: “Say supplications for them and pay donations for them and if they are alive and do not realise the truth, then meet them with kindness, for the Messenger of God (s.) said: “God sent me with mercy and not with ungratefulness.” Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “This proves the permission to offer supplications and pay donations for the parents after their death who are opponents (mukhalif) of the truth and to treat them with kindness during their lifetime. The second has already been spoken about and as for the first, the benefit is possible for them by lessening their punishment. It has already been narrated about performing pilgrimage for the father if he was a hostile person (Nasibi) and the majority of our fellow followers adhere to it, interpreting the hostile person (Nasibi) as an opponent (Mukhalif), even though Ibn Idris refused that one could do it on behalf of the father. It would be possible, to interpret the report for the one who is considered weak (Mustad’af), for the enemy (Nasibi), who manifests enmity towards the people of the House (a. ), is undoubtedly an disbeliever and the opponent (Mukhalif), who is not considered weak and who dwells eternally in the Fire, has also been described in numerous reports as a disbeliever (Kafir) and an associate (Mushrik) and in many of them the term hypocrisy (Nifaq) appears and God has already said about the hypocrites: “Never pray for one of them, who died and do not stand at his grave, for they disbelieved in God and His Messenger and died while they were wrongdoers.” (9:84) [Bihar-ul-Anwar, Volume 71 page 47]

الكافي عن محمد بن يحيى عن ابن عيسى عن معمر بن خلاد قال قلت لأبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام: أدعو لوالدي إذا كانا لا يعرفان الحق؟ قال: ادع لهما وتصدق عنهما وإن كانا حيين لا يعرفان الحق فدارهما فان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال: إن الله بعثني بالرحمة لا بالعقوق قال الشيخ محمد باقر المجلسي: يدل على جواز الدعاء والتصدق للوالدين المخالفين للحق بعد موتهما والمداراة معهما في حياتهما والثاني قد مر الكلام فيه وأما الأول فيمكن انتفاعهما بتخفيف عذابهما وقد ورد الحج عن الوالد إن كان ناصبا وعمل به أكثر الأصحاب بحمل الناصب على المخالف وأنكر ابن إدريس النيابة عن الأب أيضا ويمكن حمل الخبر على المستضعف لان الناصب المعلن لعداوة أهل البيت عليهم السلام كافر بلا ريب والمخالف غير المستضعف أيضا مخلد في النار أطلق عليه الكافر والمشرك في الأخبار المستفيضة واسم النفاق في كثير منها وقد قال سبحانه في شأن المنافقين لا تصل على أحد منهم مات أبدا ولا تقم على قبره إنهم كفروا بالله ورسوله وماتوا وهم فاسقون

Ali Ibn Yaqtin reported that Imam Al-Kazim (a.) said: “Among the Children of Israel there was a believing man and he had an disbelieving neighbour, who was kind to the believer and treated him well in this world. When the disbeliever died, God built a house of clay for him, in the fire to protect him from the heat of the fire and to provide for him outside the fire. It was said to him: ‘This is for the kindness with which you met your believing neighbour – the so-and-so and son of so-and-so – and for your good treatment of him in this world.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 71 Page 305 Hadith 52]

ثواب الأعمال: أبي، عن سعد، عن النهدي، عن ابن محبوب، عن علي بن يقطين عن موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام قال: كان في بني إسرائيل رجل مؤمن وكان له جار كافر فكان يرفق بالمؤمن، ويوليه المعروف في الدنيا، فلما أن مات الكافر بنى الله له بيتا في النار من طين، فكان يقيه حرها ويأتيه الرزق من غيرها، وقيل له: هذا لما كنت تدخل على جارك المؤمن فلان بن فلان من الرفق، وتوليه من المعروف في الدنيا