[وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُّذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ]

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong, him We shall cause to taste from a painful torment.)

[بِظُلْمٍ]

(or to do wrong,) means, he aims deliberately to do wrong, and it is not the matter of misunderstanding. As Ibn Jurayj said narrating from Ibn `Abbas, "This means someone whose actions are intentional.'' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "The evil action of Shirk.'' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "The evil action is allowing in the Haram what Allah has forbidden, such as mistreating and killing, whereby you do wrong to those who have done you no wrong and you kill those who have not fought you. If a person does this, then he deserves to suffer a painful torment.''

[بِظُلْمٍ]

(or to do wrong,) Mujahid said, "To do some bad action therein. This is one of the unique features of Al-Haram, that the person who is about to do some evil action should be punished if this is his intention, even if he has not yet commenced the action.'' Ibn Abi Hatim recorded in his Tafsir that `Abdullah (i.e., Ibn Mas`ud) commented about the Ayah,

[وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ]

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) "If a man intends to do some evil action therein, Allah will make him taste a painful torment.'' This was also recorded by Ahmad. I say, [its] chain is Sahih according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari, and it is more likely Mawquf than Marfu`. And Allah knows best. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Insulting a servant and anything more than that is (counted as) wrongdoing.'' Habib bin Abi Thabit said:

[وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ]

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) "Hoarding (goods) in Makkah.'' This was also the view of others.

[وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ]

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) Ibn `Abbas said, "This was revealed about `Abdullah bin Unays. The Messenger of Allah sent him with two men, one of whom was a Muhajir and the other from among the Ansar. They began to boast about their lineages and `Abdullah bin Unays got angry and killed the Ansari. Then he reverted from Islam (became an apostate) and fled to Makkah. Then these words were revealed concerning him:

[وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ]

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) meaning, whoever flees to Al-Haram to do evil actions, i.e., by leaving Islam.'' These reports indicate some meanings of the phrase "evil actions'', but the meaning is more general than that and includes things which are more serious. Hence when the owners of the Elephant planned to destroy the House (the Ka`bah), Allah sent against them birds in flocks,

[تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ - فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولِ ]

(Striking them with stones of Sijjil. And He made them like (an empty field of) stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).) [105:4-5]. means He destroyed them and made them a lesson and a warning for everyone who intends to commit evil actions there. Hence it was reported in a Hadith that the Messenger of Allah said:

«يَغْزُو هَذَا الْبَيْتَ جَيْشٌ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِبَيْدَاءَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ خُسِفَ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِم»

(This House will be attacked by an army, then when they are in a wide open space, the first of them and the last of them will be swallowed up by the earth.)

[وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لإِبْرَهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لاَّ تُشْرِكْ بِى شَيْئاً وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَالْقَآئِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ - وَأَذِّن فِى النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالاً وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَميِقٍ ]

(26. And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the House (saying): "Associate not anything with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up (for prayer), and those who bow and make prostration (in prayer);'') (27. And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every Fajj `Amiq.)