And the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to him [i.e., Abraham] that he [i.e., the father] was an enemy to Allāh, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
ٱسۡتِغۡفَارُ(the) asking of forgivenessis'tigh'fāru
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ(by) Ibrahimib'rāhīma
لِأَبِيهِfor his fatherli-abīhi
إِلَّاexceptillā
عَنbecauseʿan
مَّوۡعِدَةٖ(of) a promisemawʿidatin
وَعَدَهَآhe had promised itwaʿadahā
إِيَّاهُ(to) himiyyāhu
فَلَمَّاBut whenfalammā
تَبَيَّنَit became cleartabayyana
لَهُۥٓto himlahu
أَنَّهُۥthat heannahu
عَدُوّٞ(was) an enemyʿaduwwun
لِّلَّهِto Allahlillahi
تَبَرَّأَhe disassociatedtabarra-a
مِنۡهُۚfrom himmin'hu
إِنَّIndeedinna
إِبۡرَٰهِيمَIbrahimib'rāhīma
لَأَوَّٰهٌ(was) compassionatela-awwāhun
حَلِيمٞforbearingḥalīmun
Tafsir
Abraham’s seeking forgiveness for his polytheist father was only because of a promise he had made to him to do so, in the hope that he would submit. When it became clear to Abraham that his father was an enemy of Allah, due to the advice not being of benefit to him or due to his coming to know through revelation that he will die as a disbeliever, he renounced him. He had asked forgiveness for him on the basis of his own reasoning and not in contradiction of any law that Allah had revealed to him. Abraham (peace be with him) used to frequently turn to Allah in humility and he used to overlook and pardon his people who were wrongdoers.