Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:86

(Those who have purchased the life of this world for the Hereafter): Meaning, they preferred the life of this world and exchanged the Hereafter for it, turning away from the latter despite their ability to attain it. (So the punishment will not be lightened for them)—the punishment they are promised on the Day of Resurrection, or punishment in the absolute sense, whether worldly or otherworldly. (Nor will they be helped)—by warding off disgrace in this world, or by warding off the tribute (jizya) in this world and the torment in the afterlife. According to the first interpretation regarding both matters, the negation of the averting of punishment is derived from the negation of its lightening in the most eloquent and emphatic manner. Some have favored this, noting that the second interpretation would require placing the negation of averting before the negation of lightening. The predicate is placed before the subject to observe the rhyme of the verse (fasila), not for restriction, as the context is not one of restriction. This is why it was not said: "So the punishment shall not be lightened for them." The sentence is conjoined to the relative clause (sila). It is permissible for a relative pronoun to be connected to two relative clauses that differ in time.

It is also permissible that (Those) is the subject (mubtada) and (who) is its predicate (khabar), and this sentence is a predicate following a predicate. The "fa" (in fala) is present because when the relative clause is a verb, it contains the meaning of a condition. However, there is an objection to this: the conditional meaning does not extend to the subject that functions as a predicate for it. It has also been suggested that (Those) is the subject and (who) is a second subject, this sentence being the predicate of the second, and the whole forming the predicate of the first. This does not require a connective pronoun because "who" are indeed "those," though the weakness in this is apparent.

Regarding the allegorical/symbolic interpretation (al-ishara) of these verses:

(And when We took your covenant: "You shall not shed your own blood")—by inclining toward the whims of the soul and its base nature, and by abandoning your true life for the sake of obtaining your low pleasures and worldly desires—(Nor will you evict) your selves from your spiritual abodes and your sanctified disciplines. (Then you acknowledged) by accepting that, (while you were witnessing) it through your primary capacities and innate intellects. (Then you are those)—the ones who have fallen from that innate state (fitra) and are veiled from the light of capacity—(killing yourselves) and destroying them through your misguidance and following of desires. (And you evict a party of your own) from their ancient homelands by misleading them, causing them to stray, and inciting them to commit sins. You cooperate against them in committing indecencies so they may see you and follow you therein, and by imposing upon them the vices of the bestial and predatory powers, and urging them toward them.

(And if they come to you as captives)—bound by the chains of what they have committed and the bonds of the disgrace of what they have done, having been seized by remorse, with their intellects—and the intellects of their peers—reproaching them for the shame and ignominy that has befallen them—you ransom them with words of wisdom and admonition, indicating that the exalted pleasures are the intellectual and spiritual ones, and that following the soul is blameworthy and vile. Thus, they might take heed and be delivered from those shackles for a brief moment. (So do you believe) in part of the Book of Intellect and Law, by word and acknowledgement, (and disbelieve in part) by action and practice, failing to desist from what you were forbidden? (Then what is the recompense for those among you who do that except) humiliation and exposure in this life? And on the day the soul departs the body, (you will be returned to the severest of punishment), which is their torment by the dark forms rooted in their souls and their burning by its fires. (And Allah is not unaware) of your actions; He has enumerated and recorded them within you, and has inscribed them against you.