| An-Nahl (The Bees): (88) Those who disbelieved and barred...

It is known that after Allah Almighty mentioned the warning for those who disbelieved, He followed it up with a warning for those who combined with their disbelief the barring of others from the path of Allah.

Regarding the interpretation of His saying: {and barred from the path of Allah}, there are two views:

1. It is said: Its meaning is barring from the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram).
2. The sounder view is that it encompasses the entirety of faith in Allah, the Messenger, and the religious laws, because the wording is general, so there is no point in restricting it.

And His saying: {We will increase them in punishment over the punishment}:

The meaning is that they increased upon their disbelief by barring others from faith. Thus, in reality, they increased disbelief upon disbelief, so necessarily Allah Almighty will increase their punishment upon punishment.

Furthermore, their followers only imitated them in disbelief, so it is incumbent upon them to receive a punishment similar to that of their followers, due to His saying: {And they will surely bear their own burdens and burdens along with their burdens} (Al-'Ankabut: 13), and due to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Whoever establishes a bad precedent will bear its sin and the sin of whoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection."

Some commentators mentioned the details of that increase:

• Ibn Abbas said: That increase refers to five rivers of fire flowing from beneath the Throne, by which they will be punished—three during the night and two during the day.
• Some said: We will increase their punishment with snakes and scorpions as large as the Bukht (a type of large camel). They will seek refuge by fleeing from them into the Fire.
• Among them are those who mentioned that each scorpion has three hundred segments, in three hundred pits of sulfur.
• It was said: Scorpions whose stingers are like tall palm trees.

Then Allah Almighty said: {because they used to spread corruption} (i.e., yufsidun). This means this increase in punishment occurred, being caused by that barring (from the path of Allah). This indicates that whoever calls others to disbelief and misguidance, his punishment is magnified. Likewise, if he calls to the true religion and certainty, his status before Allah Almighty is magnified. And Allah knows best.

| {And [remember] the Day We will resurrect within every nation a witness over them from themselves and bring you, [O Muhammad], as a witness over them. And We have sent down to you the Book as a clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.} |