An-Nahl: (88) "Those who disbelieved and averted [others]..."

"(Those who disbelieved) in themselves, (and averted) others (from the way of Allah) by preventing those who desire Islam from it, and by inducing those they have belittled [or misled] toward disbelief. Thus, averting from the way is more general than preventing [someone] from it initially or [preventing them] from remaining upon it. So it has been said. The apparent [meaning] is the first.

It is apparent that the relative pronoun [alladhina] is a subject (mubtada'), and the saying of the Exalted, (We will add to them punishment over and above their punishment), is its predicate. Ibn Atiyyah permitted the relative pronoun to be in apposition (badal) to the subject of (they fabricate), in which case (We will add to them) would be an initial statement (mustan'af). Some permitted the first to be in the accusative case due to censure, or in the nominative case due to it, in which case the accusative or nominative agent is implied necessarily, while (We will add to them) remains as it is.

This addition is either in intensity or in another type of punishment, and the latter is what has been narrated. Ibn Marduyah and al-Khatib recorded from al-Bara' that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about that and said: 'Scorpions like long palm trees that bite them in Hell.' Al-Hakim, who authenticated it, al-Bayhaqi, and others narrated something similar from Ibn Mas'ud. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from al-Suddi that he said: 'Indeed, the people of the Fire, when they are distressed by its heat, will seek relief in a shallow part of the Fire. When they reach it, they are met by scorpions like dark mules and serpents like Bactrian camels, which strike them; that is the addition.'

From Ibn Abbas, it is that they are rivers of molten copper flowing from beneath the Throne by which they are punished. From al-Zajjaj, they exit from the heat of the Fire into the Zamharir (bitter cold), then they hasten back to the Fire due to the severity of its cold.

(Because of what they were corrupting)

[The prepositional phrase] is related to (We will add to them), meaning: We will add to them a punishment over and above the punishment they deserve for their disbelief, due to their persistence in corruption, which is averting [others] from the way. It is permitted to interpret this as being more general than disbelief and averting; the meaning being: We will add to them a punishment over and above the punishment they deserve for mere disbelief and averting, due to their persistence in these two ugly matters.

The rationale for this is that remaining in disobedience for two days, for instance, is uglier than remaining in it for one day, and remaining for three days is uglier than remaining for two, and so on. Hence they said: "Persistence in a minor sin is a major sin."

It has been said: The people of Hell deserve a specific level of punishment, which is what they receive upon first entering it, and the addition to it is only to preserve it; for if it were not increased, they would become accustomed to it and their souls would find comfort in it, just like someone who puts their hand in hot water, for they find at the first moment of placing it [a sensation] they do not find after an hour has passed—and this is as you can see."