—and thus became the cause of his being turned away from the truth and of his dying upon shirk.

At that point the Prophet ﷺ swore that he would go on asking Allah to forgive him unless he was forbidden to do so. Thereupon Allah revealed the prohibition and made it clear that guidance lies solely in His hand; He bestows it upon whom He wills, for He knows who is suited for it and who is not.

Relevance of the hadith to the chapter: The Messenger ﷺ does not have the power to bring benefit even to the one closest to him. This proves the futility of relying on him ﷺ to obtain benefit or ward off harm—and relying on anyone else is even more futile.

Lessons derived from the hadith:

1. It is permissible to visit a sick polytheist if one hopes he may embrace Islam.
2. Evil companions and wicked associates are harmful to a person.
3. The meaning of lā ilāha illā Allāh is the abandonment of worshiping idols, “saints,” and the righteous, and dedicating worship exclusively to Allah; the polytheists understood this meaning well.
4. Whoever says lā ilāha illā Allāh with knowledge, certainty, and conviction enters Islam.
5. Deeds are judged by how they end.
6. It is forbidden to seek forgiveness for polytheists, to take them as allies, or to love them.
7. It is invalid to attach oneself to the Prophet ﷺ—or to anyone else—in order to bring about benefit or repel harm.
8. This hadith refutes those who claim that Abū Ṭālib became a Muslim.
9. Blindly following one’s forefathers and elders—treating their words as final authority in times of dispute—is harmful.