According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the prohibition of praying for deceased polytheists is a definitive ruling established in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 113. Tafsir authorities such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi confirm this verse was revealed regarding Prophet Muhammad's uncle, Abu Talib, who protected the Prophet but died without accepting Islam. The verse states, 'It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.' This establishes a crucial theological principle: while maintaining kindness to non-Muslim relatives during their lifetime is encouraged, the act of seeking divine forgiveness (istighfar) is reserved for believers after death. The subsequent verse (9:114) clarifies that Prophet Ibrahim's prayer for his father was a promise made during his father's life, a practice he ceased upon realizing his father's enmity towards Allah, thus reinforcing the finality of the ruling in verse 113.