Taberî indicates that those who apostatize from the religion and die in disbelief will find their deeds in this world to be void and will bring no reward or recompense, the reason being that these deeds were performed in matters that Allah is not pleased with and about which He is angered. These people are among the inhabitants of the Fire and its companions, and they will remain there eternally; this companionship is a permanent togetherness without separation.

يقول: من يرجع عن دينه دين الإسلام، فيمت وهو كافر، فيمت قبل أن يتوب من كفره، فهم الذين حبطت أعمالهم يعني بقوله: بطلت وذهبت، وبطولها: ذهاب ثوابها، وبطول الأجر عليها والجزاء في دار الدنيا والآخرة

According to Zemahşerî, this verse shows that the polytheists' construction of the Kaaba, their guardianship and maintenance of it, cannot coexist with their bearing witness to their own disbelief; disbelief or major sin cancels out previous righteous deeds. The coming of the phrase 'Shahideen' (witnesses) as a hal (circumstantial state) points to the impossibility and inconsistency of the maintenance combined with witnessing disbelief occurring at the same time. Furthermore, the characterization of the dispute in the verse as an exit from guidance to misguidance is a figurative expression of the person turning away from guidance and directing themselves to futile struggle.

وإلى ذلك أشار في قوله : { شاهدين } حيث جعله حالا عنهم ودل على أنهم قارنون بين العمارة والشهادة بالكفر على أنفسهم في حال واحدة ، وذلك محال غير مستقيم

According to this exegete, the word 'kabir' (great) in the verse is mentioned as a repeated indefinite noun; this implies that the war in question (war in the sacred month) itself is not the great sin, rather what is truly great is preventing people from Allah's way and from the Sacred Mosque, and disbelief. Râzî presents this nuance as the subtlety of Allah's speech; the coming of both words as indefinite nouns calls to mind the meaning that the questioners desire on the surface, while ensuring it conforms to the truth in its inner meaning.

وفيه تنبيه على أن القتال الذي يكون كبيرا ليس هو هذا القتال الذي سألتم عنه ، بل هو قتال آخر لأن هذا القتال كان الغرض به نصرة الإسلام وإذلال الفكر فكيف يكون هذا من الكبائر

Kurtubî explains in this verse that 'qital' (fighting) is a substitute for 'al-shahr' (the month) (badal al-ishtimal), conveying the views of grammarians such as Sibawayh, Zajjaj, and Kutbi; he also lists different readings and grammatical parsing possibilities (the views of Kisai, Farra, and Abu Ubaida). Subsequently, he notes that the expression 'akbar' (greater) indicates that preventing people from the Kaaba for a long time and the tribulation is a greater crime or burden than war. Finally, he relates jurisprudential disagreements regarding whether the apostate can repent (whether they are invited to repentance), whether disbelief immediately nullifies deeds, and regarding inheritance.

قتال بدل عند سيبويه بدل اشتمال لأن السؤال اشتمل على الشهر وعلى القتال أي يسألك الكفار تعجبا من هتك حرمة الشهر فسؤالهم عن الشهر إنما كان لأجل القتال فيه

Ibn Kathir ties the verse to the expedition of Abdullah ibn Jahsh and the killing of Amr ibn al-Hadrammi; because the event occurred in the sacred month, the polytheists blamed the Muslims, whereas in response Allah informed that the polytheists' expulsion of Muslims from the Sacred Mosque and their associating partners with Allah is a greater sin than killing in the sacred month. He also relates that the verse means that the tribulation of turning people away from the religion is greater than killing.

وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس وذلك أن المشركين صدوا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وردوه عن المسجد في شهر حرام قال ففتح الله على نبيه في شهر حرام من العام المقبل فعاب المشركون على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم القتال في شهر حرام

According to Beydâvî, the verse indicates that fighting in the sacred month is a great sin, yet the polytheists' prevention of people from Allah's way, their denial of Allah, their expulsion of its people from the Sacred Mosque, and their causing tribulation are greater in Allah's sight than this sin. Furthermore, the verse informs that those who apostatize and die as disbelievers will have their deeds rendered void in this world and the next; these people are from the inhabitants of the Fire and will remain there eternally. The text also states that it is not correct to extract from the verse a definitive proof that fighting in the sacred month is absolutely forbidden, because the phrase 'qital fihi' comes as an indefinite noun in an affirmative context and therefore does not indicate generality.

والأولى منع دلالة الآية على حرمة القتال في الشهر الحرام مطلقا فإن قتال فيه نكرة في حيز مثبت فلا يعم