Shaykh al-Islām said:

This is an explanation of verses that have proved difficult to understand, to the point that some works of Quranic commentary contain only erroneous interpretations of them.

Among them are His words:

“Indeed, whoever commits an evil deed and is encompassed by his sin”—to the end of the verse.

He mentioned that the well-known interpretation is that the evil deed means associating partners with Allah. Another interpretation is that it means a major sin in which a person remains until death; this was the view of ʿIkrimah. Mujāhid said: “It refers to sins that surround the heart.”

I say: The correct approach is to mention the views of the early generations, even if some are weak, for the evidence will make their weakness clear. Their views should not be omitted merely because they agree with the position of a group of religious innovators. They themselves report from some of the early generations that the scribe made an error in this verse, as has also been said about other verses. Whoever denies any part of the Quran after its transmission through numerous independent channels has been established is called upon to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is put to death. But before its transmission in this manner has been established for him, he is not called upon to repent; rather, the matter is explained to him. The same applies to opinions contradicted by hadiths, whether in jurisprudence, Sufism, creed, or other matters.

Mujāhid’s statement is correct, as indicated by the authentic hadith: “When a servant commits a sin