Transliteration:( istaghfir lahum aw laa tastaghfir lahum in tastaghfir lahum sab'eena marratan falany yaghfiral laahu lahum; zaalika bi annahum kafaroo billaahi wa Rasoolih; wallaahu laa yahdil qawmal faasiqeen )
220. Until that time it was not prohibited to pray for forgiveness for the hypocrites. Thereafter prohibition came for this in the following: "And pray you never over their dead. (S9 V84)Â
Here the number is not restricted to seventy but much more is intended.Â
221. The reason for this non-forgiveness is being discussed in front, that they are the ones who deny Allah Almighty and His Beloved. and those who Messenger reject them Allah Almighty will not forgive them even when the Beloved Prophet ?
Out of his infinite universal mercy prays for them because Allah Almighty does not wish that the enemies of His Beloved Rasool should enter paradise.
In this act of non-forgiveness there is a tremendous expression of the lofty status of The love the Holy Prophet ? of the Beloved is spontaneous, but the demand of love of the friend is that the enemies of His Beloved should not be forgiven.
 Hence there is a big difference between offering a dua and taking a dua
222. From this emerges two issues:Â
1. An infidel will not benefit from any persons prayer of forgiveness because his forgiveness is not possible.
2. To at the Noble Companions of the and to reject Holy Prophet any one of them is equal to rejecting the and Messenger of Allah rejecting the Holy Prophet is equal to rejecting Allah Almighty. Because these hypocrites had mocked at the Noble Companions, Allah Almighty had declared this as "They have rejected Allah and His Messenger".
223. Thereafter the hypocrites apologised to and the Holy Prophet and asked the Holy Prophet pray for their forgiveness. At that point in time this entire verse was revealed.Â
The Ulema (learned scholars) of Islam state that the repentance of that person who insults the dignity and honour of the Holy Prophet is not accepted in the court of law. (DURRE MUKHTAAR) It is possible that this verse could hint as a proof for this issue.
Â
80. Whether you (O Muhammad ) ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them — (and even) if you ask seventy times for their forgiveness — Allah will not forgive them because they have disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah guides not those people who are rebellious.
Allah says to His Prophet that hypocrites are not worthy of seeking forgiveness for them and that if he asks Allah to forgive them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them. The number seventy here was mentioned to close the door on this subject, for Arabs use this number when they exaggerate, not that they actually mean seventy or more than seventy. Ash-Sha`bi said that when `Abdullah bin Ubayy was dying, his son went to the Prophet and said to him, “My father has died, I wish you could attend him and pray the funeral prayer for him.” The Prophet said,
(“What is you name) He said, “Al-Hubab bin `Abdullah.” The Prophet said,
(Rather, you are `Abdullah bin `Abdullah, for Al-Hubab is a devil’s name.) The Prophet went along with him, attended his father’s funeral, gave him his shirt as a shroud and prayed the funeral prayer for him. He was asked, “Would you pray on him, when he is a hypocrite” He said,
(Allah said,(…(and even) if you ask seventy times for their forgiveness…) Verily, I will ask Allah to forgive them seventy times and seventy more and seventy more.)” Similar narrations were collected from `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, Mujahid, Qatadah bin Di`amah and Ibn Jarir.
(9:80) (O Prophet), it is all the same whether or not you ask for their forgiveness. Even if you were to ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah shall not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger; and Allah does not bestow His Guidance on such evil-doing folk.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics