In the Mushafs of the people of Iraq, it is "so by what they earned" with the affirmation of the letter 'fa' indicating the inclusion of the meaning of condition. In the Mushafs of the people of Medina, it is "by what they earned" without 'fa', on the basis that 'ma' is the subject, and "by what they earned" is its predicate without including the meaning of condition. The verse is specific to the criminals. Mahmoud said: "The verse is specific to the criminals... etc." Ahmad said: "This verse breaks the Qadarites, and they cannot promote a ruse to divert it from the implication of its text. For they took His saying, 'And He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills,' to mean the repentant, which is not possible for them here, for it has established the division in forgiveness, and it is impossible for them that forgiveness here is coupled with repentance, for it would necessitate the division of repentance as well. And it is, in their view, not divisible. Likewise, the Imam reported from Abu Hashim, who is the head of the Mu'tazila and who took the lead among them. There is no interpretation for it except the truth which there is no doubt about, which is that the return of forgiveness is to the will of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and is not contingent upon repentance.

And the saying of Al-Zamakhshari that the pains that afflict children and the insane have compensations, he means by it the obligation of compensation upon Allah, glorified and exalted is He, according to the context of his belief. He has erred on the original and the branch, for the Mu'tazila, even if they erred in making compensation obligatory, did not say it is obligatory for children and the insane. Do you not see that Al-Qadi Abu Bakr compelled them regarding the ugliness of causing pain to animals, children, and the insane, saying: "There are no compensations for them, and it is not contingent upon a prior entitlement to be good?" Thus, his obligation is fulfilled by their agreement with him that there are no compensations for them.

And it is not impossible that Allah may exact some punishment from the criminal and forgive some. As for those who have no crime, like the prophets, children, and the insane, if they experience some pain or otherwise, then it is for the compensation that is fulfilled and the benefit. And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "There is no twitching of a vein, nor a scratch of a stick, nor a stumble of a stone except by sin, and Allah forgives more than that." This was narrated by Abdul Razzaq and Ibn Abi Hatim through the chain of Ismail ibn Suleiman from Al-Hasan, and Al-Tabari and Al-Bayhaqi in the latter part of Al-Shu'ab, from Qatadah, both of which are disconnected. And Abdul Razzaq connected it from the narration of Al-Salt ibn Bahram from Abu Wa'il from Al-Bara, may Allah be pleased with him.

And from some of them: Whoever does not know that what has reached him of trials and calamities is due to his own earning, and that what his Lord has forgiven him is more: he has little insight into the kindness of his Lord towards him. And from another: The servant is constantly bound to offenses at all times, and his offenses in his obedience are more than his offenses in his disobedience, for the offense of disobedience is from one aspect and the offense of obedience is from multiple aspects. And Allah purifies His servant from his offenses by various calamities to lighten his burdens on the Day of Resurrection, and were it not for His forgiveness and mercy, he would have perished at the first step.

And from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who raised it: "Whoever is forgiven in this world is forgiven in the Hereafter." This was narrated by Ibn Majah from the narration of Abu Juhaifa from Ali, raised, with the wording: "Whoever commits a sin in this world and is punished for it, then Allah is more just than to double the punishment on a servant. And whoever commits a sin and Allah conceals it and forgives him, then Allah is more generous than to return to something He has forgiven." It was narrated by Ahmad, Al-Bazzar, Al-Hakim, Al-Daraqutni, and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Shu'ab in the forty-seventh. And Ishaq said in his Musnad: "We were informed by Isa ibn Yunus from Ismail ibn Abdul Malik ibn Abu Safra from Yunus ibn Haban from Ali similarly, and in it is a disconnection." And whoever is punished in this world, the punishment is not doubled upon him in the Hereafter." And from him, may Allah be pleased with him: "This is the most hopeful verse for the believers in the Qur'an, with those who are overwhelmed by what has befallen you of calamities from a guardian of mercy."