The Qur’ān (26:83-89) says: “My Lord! Grant me sound judgement, and join me with the righteous; and grant me the advocacy of the truth in later generations; place me among those who will inherit the garden of bliss! Forgive my father; for he is among the ones who have gone astray. Let me not suffer disgrace on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead; the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit; but only the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart (will be happy).”
Nothing in Prophet Abraham’s prayer concerns any aspect of the comforts and pleasures of this world, not even physical health. It looks to higher aspects, motivated by pure feelings. It is a prayer made by a heart which has true knowledge of Allah, the Exalted. He has known Allah’s grace and prays for more of it, and he entertains hopes and fears in accordance with his experience.
“My Lord! Grant me sound judgement.” Grant me the wisdom by which I recognise the truth and distinguish true from false values so that I will continue to follow the right course. “And join me with the righteous.” What self-effacing humility! What concern about falling short of what is expected, and what fear of a change of heart! How keen he is to just be among the righteous! He feels that he can only achieve this if Allah guides him to do the righteous deeds that will bring him into such ranks.
“And grant me the advocacy of the truth in later generations.” This is a supplication that hopes for extension in later generations, not through offspring, but through faith. What Abraham prays for is that he should have in later generations a true advocate who calls on people to follow the path of truth, bringing people back to the pure faith which he himself advocated. Allah answered his prayer and gave him that advocate of the truth, sending those people a Messenger to teach them the true faith and to purify them. Such an answer to Abraham’s prayer came several thousand years later, which is a very long time in people’s reckoning, but a time that is nonetheless appropriate in Allah’s judgement.
“Place me among those who will inherit the garden of bliss!” Having already prayed that he should join the ranks of the righteous, through guidance to do what is good, now Prophet Abraham prays to be one of those who will be admitted to the garden of bliss which is inherited only by Allah’s righteous servants.
“Forgive my father; for he is among the ones who have gone astray.” He prays for his own and Allah’s forgiveness of his father despite all the harsh treatment and serious threats he had received from him. He had promised his father that he would pray for his forgiveness and he certainly fulfilled his promise. Later, the Qur’ān makes clear that it is not permissible for a believer to pray for the forgiveness of anyone who associates partners with Allah, even though that person might be a close relative. The Qur’ān (9:114) also clarifies: “Abraham prayed for the forgiveness of his father only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was Allah’s enemy, he disowned him.” Abraham then realised that the true relation that should be observed is not that of blood; rather it is one of faith. This is an important aspect of correct Islamic education. The first bond that gives rise to any relation between two people is that of faith: if it is severed, then all relations are of little significance.
“Let me not suffer disgrace on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead; the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit; but only the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart (will be happy).” We appreciate the extent of Abraham’s feeling about the hardships of the Day of Resurrection from his prayer not to be then disgraced. This ayah has declared that wealth and children will not be of any help to a person on the Day of Judgment. This declaration is subjected to exception in the words, “but only the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart (will be happy).” Coming with sound heart means to come to Him with true faith.
According to Ibn Abbas, here ‘sound heart’ means that heart of a believer that testifies the Oneness of Allah and is pure from shirk. The sound heart is only that of a believer because the heart of a disbeliever is sick. The Qur’ān (2:10) says, “In their heart there is a malady.” Wealth, children and the family relationship can also be beneficial in the hereafter to a believer. The one who has spent his wealth in this world in the way of Allah, the Exalted, and in the cause of righteous deeds or has spent in an ongoing charity (Sadqa Jaria), will get its benefit in the hereafter if he dies with the faith of Islam and is listed as a believer on the Day of Judgment.
On the other hand, if he was not a Muslim or God-forbid became an apostate before his death, then all the good deeds he had done in this world will be of no benefit to him. The same rule will apply in the case of children, that is, if a person is Muslim, he can benefit from them in the hereafter in that his children supplicate for his forgiveness after his death. Also, if he had tried to train the children to be pious, whatever good they will do, its benefit will also be passed on to him as long as they do righteous deeds. It is also possible that his pious children obtain his pardon in the hereafter by intercession.
In a few ahadith it is reported about such an intercession and its acceptance, especially the intercession of the young children yet to attain puberty. Likewise, the children will also benefit from their parents on the condition of faith in that if they were Muslims but their righteous deeds could not attain the level of their parents, then Allah, the Exalted, by taking into account their parents good deeds would place them also at the high position of their parents.
The Qur’ān (52:21) has elucidated it in these words: “We will join together with Our righteous servants their progeny”. Wherever it is mentioned in the Qur’ān or hadith that the family connection will be of no avail in the hereafter, the reference is to the non-believers. This principle is applicable to the extent that even if the wife and children of the messenger are not believers, they too would not benefit from his prophethood in the hereafter, as is the case of the son of Prophet Nuh, the wife of Prophet Lut and the father of Prophet Ibrahim.