Is the noble verse: "If, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you, and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found Allah All-Forgiving, All-Merciful" from Surah An-Nisa, abrogated after the انتقال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إلى الرفيق الأعلى (the passing of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, to the Highest Companion), and what is the proof for that?

The noble verse is part of a series of verses that condemn the hypocrites who refused to refer their disputes to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and preferred to refer them to Taghut (false deities/tyrants). The verses indicate that if the hypocrites had come to the Messenger (peace be upon him) after having wronged themselves, and then sought Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had also sought forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah to be Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This verse is not general for the entire Ummah, nor is it abrogated after the death of the Messenger (peace be upon him). It is specific to certain people, as the pronouns in the verse do not denote generality. The meaning of the verse is that whoever wrongs himself by referring to Taghut, and then comes to the Messenger regretful, repentant, and seeking forgiveness, and the Messenger also seeks forgiveness for him, then Allah will forgive him.

The verse does not mean that a Muslim should seek forgiveness from the Messenger after his death; for the religion was completed before his demise, and seeking supplication from other than Allah is shirk (definition) (polytheism). The story attributed to Al-Utbi regarding the Bedouin who came to the Prophet's grave (peace be upon him) to seek forgiveness is false and objectionable.