and favor me with honorable mention among the posterity,

    Prophet Ibrahim asked Allah's help in later generations too, so that those generations will keep carrying on the Message of Allah which Ibrahim brought to the world, and to abide by it.  In other words, Prophet Ibrahim was asking the Almighty to help the people carry on Allah's Directives and so be saved, and to help them preserve their religious integri­ty and carry on their responsibilities towards Allah.  Prophet Ibrahim prayed eloquently for the continua­tion of the enlightenment of the faith and the persistence of its teachings in the generations after him.

and make me (one) of the heirs of the Garden of Bliss,

    Once again Prophet Ibrahim shows his deep humility and need of Allah's mercy and compassion.  He knows that a person cannot be worthy or deserving of Paradise unless he reaches the high plateau of righteousness by putting the religious guidelines into action, and works diligently for it.

    But Prophet Ibrahim also knew the frailties of man and his ceaseless need for Allah's help and support.  So, Ibrahim prayed to Allah to grant him the honor of being in the Garden of Bliss, along with others whom Allah chooses to be there.

And forgive my father.  Verily, he was of those

who went astray;

    Prophet Ibrahim also asks Allah Almighty to forgive his father, though Ibrahim's father was an idol worshipper, a pagan. 

    He did this despite the fact his father disagreed with him, pressured him, harassed him, and aggrieved him.  None of these measures provoked Prophet Ibrahim, but what provoked him was that his father declined to accept Prophet Ibrahim's religion, and he was too blind to see its enlightenment.

    But you may say how can a Prophet pray for the welfare of a pagan or even someone who associates others with Allah?!  The answer is that Prophet Ibrahim had promised his father sometime before that he would pray for him.  He is doing it here out of fulfillment of the promise, no more no less.

and do not disgrace me on the Day when people are raised (again),

    Note that Prophet Ibrahim prays to Allah not to disfavor or disgrace him on the Day of Judgment.  This again shows the depth of knowledge of Ibrahim and how very needy everyone is of Allah's mercy and forgive­ness, even the Prophets.  It also shows Ibrahim's deep knowledge of the heavy responsibili­ty man carries while passing through this earthly life, and how he should spend it in tireless work, not only in applying Allah's religion but also in trying to spread it.

    To earn Paradise and be worthy of it you have to work for it now, while on earth, but you also need Allah's mercy and forgiveness.

The Day when neither wealth nor offspring will be of any avail.

    This is a continuation of the previous Ayah and it refers to the Day of Judgment, a day when all persons are on equal footing in their rights before Allah and have to account for their deeds, intentions, behavior, and work during their earthly life.

    Persons of wealth, influence, leadership, invention, and thought, all these and many other notables, will stand equally in front of Allah to account for their faith, their work, and their conduct.  They will all be equal in their rights not only to each other but also to the meek and weak, and they will have the same rights be they males or females, black or white or whatever nationality they are.

    They will excel each other in one aspect and that is explained in the next verse.

except for him who came to Allah with a sincere heart.

    The important aspect that helps distinguish the good from the bad, the saved from the doomed, will be the quality of their work for Allah during their lifetime and the sincerity of their effort in that regard.

Ø Were the Islamic Directives taken seriously?

Ø Were they applied well?

Ø Did the person strive for Allah?

Ø What kind of life did he lead?

Ø How pure was he inside?

Ø How sincere was he?

Ø What was his capacity?

Ø What circumstances influenced him? and

Ø many other factors which enter into the picture.  The outcome may be good (Paradise) or it may be bad (Hell).  Allah's mercy will always come into play and His love and compassion will play its role.

    So we pray, as did Prophet Ibrahim before, for Allah's mercy and forgiveness, and ask to be among the winners.