Is it permissible for a Muslim to seek forgiveness for a disbeliever?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought forgiveness for him, but it was not granted to him, rather he was prohibited from doing so. He did not say, "I will not seek forgiveness for you," but rather, "I will not seek forgiveness for you until I am prohibited from doing so." He used to seek forgiveness for him in return for his kindness and good deeds, out of his compassion for him and to maintain the family ties between them, until he was prohibited from doing so. This indicates that if there is no prohibition regarding a matter,
Answer:
The default ruling is that it is permissible, so Allah the Exalted did not prohibit it. He said:[At-Tawbah 9:113] It is not fitting for them [At-Tawbah 9:113]. It is not permissible to seek forgiveness for a disbeliever or one who associates partners with Allah. However, if he is alive, one should pray for his guidance, and if he is dead, one does not seek forgiveness for him. Yes.
The fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought forgiveness for him, but it was not granted to him, rather he was prohibited from doing so. He did not say, "I will not seek forgiveness for you," but rather, "I will not seek forgiveness for you until I am prohibited from doing so." He used to seek forgiveness for him in return for his kindness and good deeds, out of his compassion for him and to maintain the family ties between them, until he was prohibited from doing so. This indicates that if there is no prohibition regarding a matter,
Answer:
The default ruling is that it is permissible, so Allah the Exalted did not prohibit it. He said:
It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواto ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 41 من 41|أسئلة شرح كتاب التوحيد|مسائل متفرقة|هل يجوز للمسلم أن يستغفر للكافر؟|صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.