Allah, exalted is He, said:

“Indeed there is for you a fine example in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people, ‘We disown you and all that you worship apart from Allah. We reject you, and enmity and hatred have arisen between us and you forever—until you believe in Allah alone’—except for Abraham’s words to his father, ‘I shall surely seek forgiveness for you.’” (al-Mumtahanah 60:4) (1).

He also said:

“It is not fitting for the Prophet or those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists—even though they be close relatives—after it has become clear to them that they are people of the Blaze. Abraham’s seeking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that his father was an enemy of Allah, he disowned him.” (al-Tawbah 9:113–114) (2).

Allah—glorified be He—has rights (3) in which no one shares with Him; the messengers have rights that none share with them; and the believers have mutual rights over one another (4).

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs it is related from Muʿādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I was riding behind the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace (5)—when he said to me, ‘Muʿādh, do you know what Allah’s right is over His servants (6)?’ I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘His right over them is that they worship Him (7) and do not associate anything with Him. Muʿādh, do you know what the servants’ right is upon Allah if they do that?’ I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘Their right upon Him is that He will not punish them.’” (8)