(12) CHAPTER. The Statement of Allah: “Whether you (O Muhammad ) ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them - (and even) if you ask seventy times for their forgiveness - Allah will not forgive them...” (V.9:80)
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: When `Abdullah bin 'Ubai died, his son `Abdullah bin `Abdullah came to Allah's Messenger and asked him to give him his shirt in order to shroud his father in it. He gave it to him and then `Abdullah asked the Prophet to offer the funeral prayer for him (his father). Allah's Messenger got up to offer the funeral prayer for him, but `Umar got up too and got hold of the garment of Allah's Messenger and said, O Allah's Messenger Will you offer the funeral prayer for him though your Lord has forbidden you to offer the prayer for him Allah's Messenger said, But Allah has given me the choice by saying: '(Whether you) ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times..' (9.80) so I will ask more than seventy times. `Umar said, But he (`Abdullah bin 'Ubai) is a hypocrite! However, Allah's Messenger did offer the funeral prayer for him whereupon Allah revealed: 'And never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them that dies, nor stand at his grave.' (9.84)
Narrated `Umar bin Al-Khattab: When `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul died, Allah's Messenger was called in order to offer the funeral prayer for him. When Allah's Messenger got up (to offer the prayer) I jumped towards him and said, O Allah's Messenger ! Do you offer the prayer for Ibn Ubai although he said so-and-so on such-and-such-a day? I went on mentioning his sayings. Allah's Messenger smiled and said, Keep away from me, O `Umar! But when I spoke too much to him, he said, I have been given the choice, and I have chosen (this) ; and if I knew that if I asked forgiveness for him more than seventy times, he would be for given, I would ask it for more times than that. So Allah's Messenger offered the funeral prayer for him and then left, but he did not stay long before the two Verses of Surat-Bara'a were revealed, i.e.:-- 'And never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them that dies.... and died in a state of rebellion.' (9.84) Later I was astonished at my daring to speak like that to Allah's Messenger and Allah and His Apostle know best.