Surely you have the best example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they told their people that, “Indeed, we are free from you as well as whatever you have been serving besides Allah; we disbelieve in you, and there has begun enmity and hatred between us and you forever until you believe in Allah as the single Deity,” except what Ibrahim told his father: “Surely I will seek forgiveness for you, while I do not possess anything for you from Allah;” Oh, our Lord! Upon You we are entrusting, and into You we are turning always, and into You is our returning.
Not only for Messenger Muhammad and his companions, but for the believers until the Last Day also, there is a best example in Messenger Ibrahim and those who were with him. At that time, only Sara, who was his wife, and Looth, who was the son of his brother, were with Ibrahim. That means there were no believers, even in the ratio of one in every thousand. Even then, they declared together to their people: “We will not consider you as believers until you serve Allah by believing in Him as the single Deity, and there is enmity and hatred between you and us, and we are getting free from all relations with you as well as those whom you are serving besides Allah. Except that what Ibrahim told his father: Surely I will seek forgiveness for you,” means there is no better example for Messenger Muhammad and believers in seeking forgiveness of Ibrahim for his father, who was an enemy of Allah. See explanation 9: 84-85, 113-114; 10: 41 16: 120-123; and 47: 19.