His saying, the Exalted: "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers."

3788 - Hajjaj b. Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, who said:

'Ikrimah said regarding His saying: "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam..." The [various] religious sects said: We are Muslims. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "And due to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way," and so the Muslims performed the Hajj, while the disbelievers sat [stayed behind].

His saying, the Exalted: "How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief"

[The first interpretation]

3789 - Ja'far b. al-Nadr al-Wasiti al-Darir narrated to us, 'Ali b. 'Asim narrated to us, from Dawud b. Abi Hind, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, that a man from the Ansar apostatized from Islam and joined the polytheists. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief" until the end of the verse. His people sent word to him, so he returned repentant to the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) let him go free(1).

The second interpretation:

3790 - Muhammad b. Sa'd al-'Awfi informed us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my paternal uncle al-Husayn narrated to me, my father narrated to me from my grandfather, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief" - He said: They are the People of the Scripture who recognized Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and then disbelieved in him. Abu Muhammad said: It was narrated from al-Hasan similar to this.

His saying, the Exalted: "Those - their recompense is that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together."

[The first interpretation]

3791 - 'Isam b. Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, Abu Ja'far narrated to us, from al-Rabi', from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding: "the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together," he said: "The people, all together" means the believers.

Abu Ja'far said: And al-Rabi' narrated to me, he said: I heard Abu al-'Aliyah saying: "The disbeliever will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will curse him, then the angels will curse him, then all the people will curse him." Abu Muhammad said: It was narrated from Qatadah similar to the statement of Abu al-'Aliyah.