بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
“Nay, but whosoever hath done evil and his sin surroundeth him; such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the word 'seyyie' (evil) in the verse refers to shirk (associating partners with God); he transmits this view from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada and other early Muslim scholars. The fact that the sin committed by a person encompasses them and causes them to remain eternally in Hell is only applicable to those guilty of shirk and disbelief, not to believers who commit major sins. This is because the continuous reports transmitted from the Prophet show that believers will not remain eternally in Hell; therefore, although the outward meaning of the verse expresses something general, a specific meaning is intended here.
وإنما قلنا: إن السيئة التي ذكر الله جل ثناؤه أن من كسبها وأحاطت به خطيئته فهو من أهل النار المخلدين فيها في هذا الموضع، إنما عنى الله بها بعض السيئات دون بعض، وإن كان ظاهرها في التلاوة عاما، لأن الله قضى على أهلها بالخلود في النار، والخلود في النار لأهل الكفر بالله دون أهل الإيمان به
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
The text mentions that at the beginning of the verse, the statement of those among the Jews who held the murji'i view (those who believed they would remain in Hell only for a certain number of days) is being quoted; then it is stated that the promise side outweighs the threat side in many respects.
فحكي في أول الآية قول المرجئة من اليهود فقال : ( البقرة : 81 ) أن جانب الوعد راجح على جانب الوعيد من وجوه كثيرة
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Qurtubî, this verse indicates that a ruling dependent on two conditions will not be fully realized by only the first of these conditions; that is, for a person who believes but then does not perform righteous deeds, the ruling has not been completely fulfilled. He also mentions the difference in readings regarding the pronunciation of the word 'hatî'atihi' (Nafi's plural reading versus the singular reading of others) and explains that this carries a plural meaning.
دل على أن المعلق على شرطين لا يتم بأقلهما ومثله قوله تعالى : إن الذين قالوا ربنا الله ثم استقاموا
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kathir transmits that the word 'seyyie' means the evil committed by a person completely encompassing them, covering their heart, and explains that this is understood through different views such as shirk, major sins, or the condition of one who is about to die without repenting. He notes that despite the difference in wording, the views of the Companions and their successors are similar in meaning. He also mentions a hadith in this context regarding how small sins can accumulate and drag a person to destruction.
وقال ابن جريج عن مجاهد قال بقلبه وقال أبو هريرة وأبو وائل وعطاء والحسن قالوا أحاط به شركه وقال الأعمش عن أبي رزين عن الربيع بن خيثم قال الذي يموت على خطاياه من قبل أن يتوب وعن السدي وأبي رزين نحوه وقال أبو العالية ومجاهد والحسن في رواية عنهما وقتادة والربيع بن أنس الموجبة الكبيرة وكل هذه الأقوال متقاربة في المعنى والله أعلم
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Baydawi, the word 'bala' (nay) refutes the claim of the Jews with a general statement that the Fire will not touch them except for a certain number of days. There is a difference between 'kasb' (acquisition) and 'hatî'a' (sin); hatî'a is a state that completely encompasses a person and makes them a disbeliever, which is why the early scholars interpreted it as disbelief. Furthermore, according to the author, this verse and the one before it do not constitute evidence that one who commits major sins will remain eternally in Hell.
والآية كما ترى لا حجة فيها على خلود صاحب الكبيرة وكذا التي قبلها
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Ibn Kathir and Baydawi share the view that the word 'seyyie/hatî'a' is an evil that completely encompasses a person and covers their heart (most often shirk/disbelief) and that this verse does not constitute evidence that a believer who commits major sins will remain eternally in Hell. The transmissions from early scholars (Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada) serve as common reference points among these exegetes.
Differences
Taberî and Ibn Kathir follow a transmission-focused method, listing views from the early scholars; Ibn Kathir emphasizes that different wordings are unified in meaning. Baydawi adds a linguistic layer to this (the distinction between kasb and hatî'a) and draws a juridical conclusion. Qurtubî approaches the subject from a different angle, focusing on the structure of conditional sentences and reading differences (Nafi's plural reading); this approach is different from the others. Ar-Razi presents the verse's context as a response to the Jews' murji'i claim and pays attention to the balance between promise and threat; this is a more contextual/theological reading than the others.
Historical context
From the earliest exegete Taberî onward, the fundamental interpretation based on early Muslim transmissions (seyyie meaning shirk/disbelief) has remained stable; in later periods (Ar-Razi, Qurtubî, Baydawi), linguistic, rhetorical and reading analyses were added to enrich the interpretation. Later exegetes like Ibn Kathir tended toward collecting and synthesizing transmissions. The basic framework has not changed; methodological tools (linguistics, readings, juridical inference) have become more varied over time.
Modern connection
This comparative reading reminds us that small sins can accumulate and encompass a person's heart; this can encourage sincere self-examination in daily life and a continuous consciousness of repentance and purification. Furthermore, the fact that different exegetes approach the same verse through different methods such as linguistics, transmission and context shows the value of multifaceted thinking and a tolerant reading approach in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar