It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when death approached Abu Talib, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to him, and with him were Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah and Abu Jahl bin Hisham. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "O uncle, your right over me is the greatest, and you have done me great kindness; your right over me is even greater than that of my father. So say a word by which my intercession for you will become due on the Day of Resurrection. Say: 'La ilaha illallah' (There is no god but Allah)." The two of them said: "Will you turn away from the religion of Abd al-Muttalib?" So he fell silent. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his words, and he said: "I am upon the religion of Abd al-Muttalib", and he died in that state. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will keep seeking forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden concerning you." So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists" to its end, and "And Ibrahim's asking forgiveness for his father" to the end of the verse [Surah al-Tawbah: 113 - 114] . This hadith is sahih in its chain, and the two Shaykhs did not record it, because Yunus and Uqayl narrated it from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id, as mursal.