Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Abu Talib greatly defended the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself said that as long as Abu Talib was alive, the Quraysh were afraid to harm me.
When he passed away, the Quraysh gained the courage to harm you, to the extent that a foolish person threw dust on your blessed head.
In any case, despite the efforts and desire of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Talib did not accept Islam; however, due to the blessing of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he will be kept in a lighter punishment.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/244)
In the narration, there is mention of Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah; he was a staunch opponent of the Muslims and harbored enmity towards the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but before the conquest of Makkah, he accepted Islam, and in Ta’if, Allah the Exalted honored him with martyrdom.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 11/593)

Hadith Commentary:
The context of revelation (shan-e-nuzul) of the verse has been mentioned.
This ruling is general and applies until the Day of Judgment.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that the following noble verse was also revealed in this context:
"You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are guided." () (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jana'iz, Hadith: 1386)

➋
Since the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was greatly grieved by the death of his uncle as a non-Muslim, Allah made it clear that your task is only to invite and convey (the message), but to make someone walk the path of guidance is Our task. You fulfill your responsibility, and We will do Our work. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also sought permission to seek forgiveness (istighfar) for his noble mother, but he was prohibited from doing so, as is explicitly mentioned in the hadith. (: al-Qasas 28:56; Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jana'iz, Hadith: 1360)

➌
In any case, it is not permissible to supplicate for forgiveness (du'a maghfirah) for the polytheists (mushrikeen); however, supplication can be made for their guidance, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) supplicated for the tribe of Daws: "O Allah! Guide them and bring them to me." (Musnad Ahmad: 5/355)

Hadith Commentary:

So that Allah may forgive you, but Abu Talib was not able to prepare himself for this. His name was Abd Manaf, and he was the son of Abdul Muttalib and the father of Ali (radi Allahu anhu).

Hadith Commentary:

In which seeking forgiveness for the disbelievers and polytheists was prohibited.

Abu Talib had done great favors for the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He raised and nurtured the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) more than his own children and continued to protect him from the harm of the disbelievers. Therefore, out of love, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that he would continue to supplicate for his well-being, and he began to pray for him.

When the verse from Surah Tawbah, ﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ﴾ (), was revealed, stating that it is not appropriate for the Prophet and the believers to pray for the polytheists, at that point he stopped.

It is derived from the hadith that even at the time of death, if a polytheist repents from polytheism, his faith will be valid. This is the very meaning of the chapter.

However, this repentance must occur before the throes of death (sakarat). Repentance at the time of sakarat is not accepted, as mentioned in the Qur’anic verse, ﴿فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا﴾ (Ghafir: 85) ().

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not mention the answer to the condition in this chapter heading, because when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told his uncle at the time of death to recite the kalimah of tawhid, it is possible that at that time his recitation of the kalimah of tawhid could have benefited him, and this could have been specific to him. This is because when death becomes certain, the kalimah of tawhid no longer has any benefit. It is also possible that he did not mention the answer so that a person faced with such circumstances would have the opportunity to reflect and ponder. (Fath al-Bari: 3/282, 283)

(2)
If the signs of death have not appeared and there is no certainty of death, then bringing faith at the time of death can be beneficial; otherwise, there is no expectation of it being beneficial. It is possible that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam invited Abu Talib to faith before the onset of the pangs of death (naz‘). Pharaoh also, upon seeing the signs of death, said: “I believe that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit to Him.” (Yunus 10:90) Pharaoh’s faith was “iman al-ba’is” (the faith of the desperate), which was manifested after entering into punishment. Such faith is not considered valid. In contrast, the people of Yunus, upon witnessing the punishment (before entering into it), accepted faith. Allah the Exalted says:
﴿فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ﴾ (Yunus 10:98)
“Then, is there any city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Yunus?” Allah the Exalted Himself has made them an exception, so others cannot be analogized to this people.

Besides this, in Pharaoh’s statement of faith, there were possibilities other than true faith, because he referred to the Children of Israel, saying that he believed in the God in whom the Children of Israel believed. It is possible that at that time he did not attain true knowledge and tawhid regarding Allah. Furthermore, regarding Pharaoh’s statement, Allah the Exalted Himself responded:
﴿آلْآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ﴾ (Yunus 10:91)
“Now? While you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters.” In any case, if one brings faith before the onset of the pangs of death (naz‘), it is considered valid. If, after the pangs of death have begun, one recites the kalimah of tawhid, it is called “iman al-ba’is,” which, according to the majority, is not considered valid. And Allah knows best.

(1) It is established that Abu Talib did not accept Islam but rather died upon disbelief. It is a separate matter that, due to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he will receive the lightest punishment. Since shirk (associating partners with Allah) is an unforgivable crime, seeking forgiveness for a polytheist is impermissible. Including Abu Talib among those excused is also difficult, because the true religion did reach him, yet for certain reasons he was unable to accept it. And Allah knows best.

(2) On the Day of Resurrection, a person’s own deeds will benefit him; lineage and ancestry will be of no avail.