فَمَنۢ بَدَّلَهُۥ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعَهُۥ فَإِنَّمَآ إِثْمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُۥٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“And whoso changeth (the will) after he hath heard it - the sin thereof is only upon those who change it. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower.” — M. M. Pickthall
In this text, Zemahşerî explains the context of the names 'Semî' (All-Hearing) and 'Alîm' (All-Knowing). According to him, Allah's being All-Hearing relates to the supplications and words of the servants, while being All-Knowing relates to both their conditions and their deeds. This text also emphasizes that Allah, who possesses such knowledge and hearing, must be feared and observed.
لما تقولون { عليم } بما تعملون ، وحق مثله أن يتقى ويراقبAccording to Fahreddin er-Râzî, there are two views regarding the subject of the verb 'to change': the first is that the person who changes the will could be the executor, a witness, or other people who prevent the rightful owner of the property from receiving it; the second is that the changing itself is the deviation of the will from the rulings established by Allah by the person making the will. Additionally, among the rulings derived from the verse are that the child will not be punished for the father's disbelief, the deceased will not be punished for the heir's negligence in paying debts, and the deceased will not be punished because of someone else's weeping for him, since sin belongs to its perpetrator.
والمعنى : أن إثم ذلك التبديل لا يعود إلا إلى المبدل ، وقد تقدم بيان أن المبدل من هو . واعلم أن العلماء استدلوا بهذه الآية على أحكام أحدها : أن الطفل لا يعذب على كفر أبيهAccording to İbn Kesîr, the verse concerns one who changes, distorts, violates, adds to, or removes from the will of the deceased; concealing the will is also included in this scope with greater reason. While those who change the will bear the sin, the reward of the deceased is established with Allah. Allah's being All-Hearing and All-Knowing expresses that He is aware of both what was willed and what those who changed it have done.
يقول تعالى فمن بدل الوصية وحرفها فغير حكمها وزاد فيها أو نقص ويدخل في ذلك الكتمان لها بطريق الأولى قال ابن عباس وغير واحد وقد وقع أجر الميت على الله وتعلق الإثم بدلوا ذلكAccording to Taberî, the pronoun in the verse refers to an omitted expression, namely the condition of the one making the will and to whom the will was made. It is stated that the sin of the one who changes the will belongs to him, while the reward of the one making the will is referred to Allah; however, if the will contains a harm (injustice), it is stated that this will shall not be valid. This view is supported by reports transmitted from early scholars such as Mujahid, Ibn Abbas, Suddi, and Hasan.
وقد وقع أجر الموصي على الله وبرئ من إثمه، وإن كان أوصى في ضرار لم تجز وصيتهAccording to Kurtubî, the pronoun in the phrase 'his sin' refers to changing the will (tebdîl); that is, this sin is upon the one who changes it, not upon the deceased, because the one making the will is relieved of responsibility through his will. This responsibility falls upon the heir or the executor. Furthermore, it is also stated that if the one making the will does not conform to the legally prescribed form and changes the will or does not make it permissible, then the sin will belong to him.
أي إثم التبديل عائد على المبدل لا على الميت فإن الموصي خرج بالوصية عن اللوم وتوجهت على الوارث أو الوليAccording to this exegete, in verse 181, those who hear and understand the will and then change it—the executors and witnesses—bear sin only upon the changers; there is no sin upon the one making the will. In verse 182, it is stated that when a person sees the one making the will inclining toward injustice either by mistake or deliberately, and that person intercedes to rectify the matter between those willed to in accordance with the Sharia, there is no sin upon him, because this is in the nature of converting falsehood to truth.
فما إثم الإيصاء المغير أو التبديل، إلا على مبدليه لأنهم الذين خافوا وخالفوا الشرعCommon ground
All exegetes accept that the 'sin' in the verse belongs to the one who changes the will, and that the deceased will not be held responsible for this. Furthermore, there is a common emphasis that Allah's names 'Semî'' (All-Hearing) and 'Alîm' (All-Knowing) are related to all words and deeds concerning the will, and that these names require caution and fear.
Differences
While Taberî and İbn Kesîr take a narration-based approach by basing the referent of the pronoun and the scope of changing on reports from early scholars, Zemahşerî and Beydâvî approach the matter through linguistic and rhetorical analysis, while Kurtubî and Fahreddin er-Râzî combine pronoun analysis with jurisprudential deductions. Fahreddin er-Râzî further distinguishes himself by discussing the possibility that the one making the will himself might also perform this changing, thereby offering a broader framework of possibilities than others; Beydâvî adds by connecting with verse 182 that interceding to correct injustice is not sinful.
Historical context
The narration-based method of the early period exegete Taberî evolved in later periods to linguistic and rhetorical analysis in Zemahşerî and Beydâvî, and to a combination of linguistic analysis with jurisprudential and theological deductions in Fahreddin er-Râzî and Kurtubî. While the main ruling—that sin belongs to the one who changes—remained constant throughout the periods, the method and justification have diversified.
This verse draws attention to the importance of faithfulness to trusts and oaths, particularly in sensitive matters such as the will of a deceased loved one, and of acting with sincerity and justice. It can be understood that when attempting to correct injustice in family relationships, following a path that is in accordance with the Sharia and just is an attitude that preserves social trust and solidarity. In this context, the verse can be read as a general reminder of the importance of truthfulness, a sense of responsibility, and sincere conduct in daily life.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar