They used to seek forgiveness for them until this verse was revealed. When it was revealed, they refrained from seeking forgiveness for their dead, though they were not forbidden from seeking forgiveness for the living until they died. Then Allah revealed, "And Ibrahim's seeking forgiveness for his father..." [Tawbah 9:114], meaning he sought forgiveness for him while he was alive, but when he died, he refrained from seeking forgiveness for him.
كانوا يستغفرون لهم حتى نزلت هذه الآية، فلما نزلت أمسكوا عن الاستغفار لأمواتهم، ولم ينهوا أن يستغفروا للأحياء حتى يموتوا، ثم أنزل الله: {وما كان استغفار إبراهيم لأبيه} الآية. يعني استغفر له ما كان حيا، فلما مات أمسك عن الاستغفار.
No references are available.
Ibn Jareer narrated it in his Tafsir (12/23–24), and Ibn Abu Hatim narrated it in his Tafsir (6/1893), both from the hadith of Abdullah bin Salih, who said, "Muawiya bin Salih narrated to us, from Ali bin Abu Talha, from Ibn Abbas," and he related it.Its isnad is hasan because of Ali bin Abu Talha. Although he narrates from Ibn Abbas without direct contact, the intermediary is known and he is truthful in himself. Likewise, it contains Abdullah bin Salih, the scribe of Layth the Egyptian, whose hadith is hasan.