His saying, Exalted is He: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love."
17000 - Ahmad ibn Sinan al-Wasiti narrated to us, Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd narrated to us, Yazid ibn Kaysan narrated to us, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to his uncle: "Say: 'There is no god but Allah,' and I will bear witness for you by it before Allah on the Day of Resurrection." He replied: "Were it not that you would reproach me, Quraysh, I would have delighted your eyes with it." Then Allah revealed: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills"—the verse.
17001 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa’ narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love," referring to the statement of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to Abu Talib: "Say the word of sincerity, so that I may argue for you on the Day of Resurrection." He replied: "O son of my brother! [I prefer] the religion of the elders."
17002 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, al-‘Abbas informed us, Yazid ibn Zuray‘ narrated to us, from Sa‘id, from Qatadah regarding "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love," he said: It was mentioned to us that it was revealed regarding Abu Talib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He said: [It refers to his desire] at the time of his death for him to say: 'There is no god but Allah,' so that intercession might be permissible for him, but he refused him.
17003 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salamah narrated to us, Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khaytham narrated to us, from Sa‘id ibn Rashid, who said: A messenger of Caesar was a neighbor of mine. He said: Caesar wrote a letter with me to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I came to him and handed the letter to him, and he placed it in his lap. Then he said: "To whom does the man belong?" I replied: "From Tanukh." He said: "Do you follow the religion of your father Abraham, the Hanifiya (monotheism)?" I replied: "I am a messenger of a people and I am upon their religion until I return to them." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, smiled, looked at his companions, and said: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills."
His saying, Exalted is He: "But Allah guides whom He wills."
17004 - It was mentioned from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Salamah, Khalaf narrated to us, ‘Isam ibn Taliq narrated to us, from Sa‘id ibn Abi ‘Arubah, from Qatadah regarding "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love," meaning: Abu Talib. "But Allah guides whom He wills," meaning: al-‘Abbas.
