Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:68-70

{حرم الله} Meaning: He has forbidden them. The sense is: He has forbidden their killing.

{إلا بالحق} This is connected to the omitted [word] "killing," or to "they do not kill." The negation of these grave abominations regarding those described with such great religious qualities is intended to expose the enemies of the believers among the Quraysh and others. It is as if it were said: "Those whom God has exonerated and purified from what you are upon."

"Killing without right" includes female infanticide (wa'd) and other acts.

From Ibn Mas'ud (may God be pleased with him): I said: "O Messenger of God, which sin is the greatest?" He said: "That you set up an equal to God while He created you." I said: "Then what?" He said: "That you kill your child for fear that he might eat with you." I said: "Then what?" He said: "That you commit adultery with your neighbor's wife." Then God revealed [verses] confirming this.

{يلقَ فيه أثاماً} It is read as yalqa (with the alif), and the like has passed before. Al-Atham is the recompense for sin (ithm), similar in weight and meaning to wabal (punishment) and nakal (chastisement). A poet said: "May God recompense Ibn 'Urwah, wherever he may be, for his disobedience; for disobedience has its recompense (athām)."

It is also said that it is the sin itself, meaning: he shall encounter the recompense of the sin. Ibn Mas'ud (may God be pleased with him) read it as ayāman, meaning: hardships. It is said: "A day of ayām" for a difficult day.

{يضاعف} This is a substitute (badal) for yalqa, as they share the same meaning. Similar to the saying: "When you come to us, visiting our dwellings, you will find abundant firewood and a blazing fire."

It is also read as yuḍ‘af, and nuḍ‘ifu lahu al-‘adhāb (with a nun and the accusative case for al-‘adhāb). It is also read in the nominative case as a new sentence or as a state (hal). The same applies to {يخلد}. It is also read as wa-yukhlad (passive voice, both light and heavy), from al-ikhlād (to remain) and al-takhlīd (to make eternal). It is also read as wa-tukhlad (with a ta), as a shift in address (iltifāt).

{ما يبدل} Read both light and heavy, as is the case with sayyi’ātihim.

If you ask: What is the meaning of doubling the punishment and replacing evil deeds with good ones? I say: When a polytheist commits sins alongside polytheism, he is punished for the polytheism and for the sins together; thus, the punishment is doubled due to the multiplicity of the offenses.

As for replacing evil deeds with good ones: It means He erases them through repentance and establishes good deeds in their place—faith, obedience, and piety. It is also said: He replaces their polytheism with faith, their killing of Muslims with the killing of polytheists, and their adultery with chastity and purity.

{وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا}