At-Taubah 9:113

مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ

Sahih International

It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.

Muhsin Khan

It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah’s Forgiveness for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief).

Bangla

বায়ান ফাউন্ডেশন

নবী ও মুমিনদের জন্য উচিত নয় যে, তারা মুশরিকদের জন্য ক্ষমা প্রার্থনা করবে। যদিও তারা আত্মীয় হয়। তাদের নিকট এটা স্পষ্ট হয়ে যাওয়ার পর যে, নিশ্চয় তারা প্রজ্বলিত আগুনের অধিবাসী।

ডঃ মুজিবুর রহমান

নাবী ও অন্যান্য মু’মিনদের জন্য জায়েয নয় যে, তারা মুশরিকদের জন্য ক্ষমা প্রার্থনা করে, যদিও তারা আত্মীয়ই হোক না কেন, এ কথা প্রকাশ হবার পর যে, তারা জাহান্নামের অধিবাসী।

মুহিউদ্দীন খান

নবী ও মুমিনের উচিত নয় মুশরেকদের মাগফেরাত কামনা করে, যদিও তারা আত্নীয় হোক একথা সুস্পষ্ট হওয়ার পর যে তারা দোযখী।

My Comments and Understanding:

I will mention three issues here InShaaAllah.

1. Defining Mushrik

SubhanAllah, Allah testifies that the Mumin has clear knowledge about the fate of the Mushrikeen. Now, who are the Mushrikin?

(A)  All kafirs, take any religion (Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Zorostian etc.), each of them worships something alongside the ‘God’ they believe in. So, they are Mushrikeen even though they believe in a Creator, or a ‘God’.

(B) The ones who say, they don’t have a ‘God’ but only follow the guidance of the man (Buddha, in Buddhism), many of them actually worship that man as ‘God’ and pray to that man (talk to any ordinary Buddhist and you will know this).

(C) Then the ones who say, we don’t take Buddha as ‘God’ we only follow his guidance, they are also clear Kuffar and Mushrikeen once they know, understand and then reject Allah, who is the only Guidance for mankind. Whoever takes any other guidance other than Allah, he is a Mushrik because GUIDANCE belongs to Allah ONLY.

(D) The ones who say they do not have a religion (atheists and agnostics), do the same. They do not believe in a ‘God’, in their terms, but they take their DESIRE as their ‘God’, They take their IDEAS and PHILOSOPHIES as their ‘God’ (Click the link to know that Allah says that there are people who take their desire as their ‘God’ Al-Quran 25:43).

2. ‘Muslims in Kuffar’s Mind-Set’

There are many Muslims today who have a mindset of the Kuffar’s. They say, “You cannot say who is going to the fire, you don’t know. Allah is the Judge.” Even the prominent scholars, I heard, say the same thing “you cannot judge”. I know that you would say, “They are saying this about the living ones.” No, my brother, ask one of those ‘Muslims in Kuffar’s Mind-Set’ what is the fate of Nelson Mandela and listen to their answer. They have the mindset of the Christians, the Zalimun, the liars who lied about Allah the Most Merciful, and the foolish ones who believed it, saying that He has a son, (which also implies that He has a wife, a family, and therefore has a father too) Aujubillah.

Those Muslims got this philosophy from these Zalimun. But now you know who Allah Subhanahu was talking about. The Kuffar, the Mushrikeen who died rejecting Allah, worshiping others besides Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and never said “La Ilaha Illa Allah”. Allah said they are for the fire and Allah confirms that Mu’min KNOWS it. The Mu’min has CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE about it.

But I was not there with the Kafir or the Mushrik to know what happened before death came to him. There could be few who knew that Islam is the truth but never proclaimed it out of fear of people, society or authority or for any other reason. Therefore, I would never know their fate. So whenever I pass by a graveyard of Christians, I feel pain and think to myself that there could be someone lying there who was Muslim inside. If you dig into the history and read mindfully, you will actually find several cases like this among the Christian scholars.

But even with such cases, for a Mu’min saying he is in fire doesn’t make him (the Mu’min) a sinner, because we judge by what is apparent, we don’t know the heart of the people, we don’t judge by what is not apparent.

Omar Al-Khattab, Radiallahu Anhu said,

Therefore, I can say FIRMLY after knowing the above Ayah that those who died in Kufr (as per my knowledge), rejecting Allah, worshiping others besides Allah and never said “La Ilaha Illa Allah”, they are for the fire. And Allah knows best.

3.  The poor condition of Bangla translation:

See the poor condition of Bangla translations of Dr. Mujibur Rahman and Muhiuddin Khan. Would any reader reading only one of these translations get the understanding, the importance of this knowledge for Muslims that Allah CONFIRMS that the Mu’min has CERTAIN knowledge of those who are for the fire? If they don’t understand this then what will happen? They will continuously be indoctrinated by the Christian philosophy of “You cannot judge”.

Think of it! Understanding just one Ayah can change the Muslims from the mindset of the Kuffar to the mindset of Allah’s knowledge, which is the proper knowledge of the Deen. But they did not realise the importance of it. Probably because they never knew the mindset of those Muslims in their times. But if you were to talk to the Muslims around you today, you might find more than 95% of them today are in the mindset of the Kuffar’s in many aspects. And Allah knows best.

4. A warning from your Brother:

We are living in a time now, where our lifestyles are no different than those of the Kuffar’s, our mindset is no different than that of the Kuffar’s. Therefore, only reading a translation of the Quran and reading a Tafsir might not save you from the mindset of the Kuffar’s neither save you from Jahannam, (May Allah save us from Jahannam). Most of the Tafsir you read has written more than 50 years before and the world is different now. The Shirk in those times and now has changed in many folds, many aspects and many avenues. Now Shirk is in our ‘Words of Mouth’, Shirk is in our daily activities, in the actions and  ‘Act of Limbs’, Shirk is in our mindset. Most of the Muslims do Islam today as a rituals only. Therefore, you must, therefore, contemplate on each Ayah yourself first. If you want to get to know more of those Shirk that we are living with today, then read from here “Muslims in Kuffar’s Mindset”

And please my brothers do not get me wrong. What I am emphasizing is that YOU need to contemplate on the Quran YOURSELF first so that you will develop the habit of Critical Reasoning and only then you read Tafsir and explanations from other resources and when you will find that your understanding goes with the scholars, you will see how that boost your confidence and knowledge about Deen, InShaaAllah. But in case you thought something wild, immediately turn to Tafsirs and scholars, ask them, discuss with them.

And Allah knows best. May Allah make us steadfast in Deen and May Allah Tabaraka Ta’ala give us proper understand of our Deen and May Allah save us from the Kuffar’s mindset. Ameen.