Yes, [on the contrary], whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
بَلَىٰ
(Yes, [on the contrary],)
بَلَىٰword 1
Answer Particle (بَلَىٰ / نَعَمْ) · حرف جوابAn answer particle is a one-word reply, and بَلَىٰ 'yes indeed!' is the one that affirms the very thing a preceding denial rejected. Their claim was 'the Fire will never touch us' — بَلَىٰ answers: on the contrary, it will. L20 · R23
Allah says: the matter is not as you have wished and hoped it to be.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:81–82
مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةًۭ
(…whoever earns evil)
Root كسب — to earn, acquire (deeds, actions, consequences) · 67 times in the Quran
Root سوا — evil, bad, wicked · 167 times in the Quran
مَنword 2
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional word sets up a two-part sentence — a condition and its result, often joined by a result فَ. مَن 'whoever' opens exactly that here: the condition 'whoever earns evil…', with the result arriving at فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ 'then those…'. L16 · R1
كَسَبَword 3
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. كَسَبَ names an action — earning — from the root كسب: to earn, acquire. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action; its base shape is the 'he' form with no ending added. كَسَبَ is that bare base shape — the settled form Arabic uses inside a condition: 'whoever earned'. L8 · R1
سَيِّئَةًۭword 4
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel mark ـً — is a noun, a naming word. سَيِّئَةً names an evil deed, from the root سوا — evil, bad, wicked. L1 · R2
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as grammatically 'she', typically marked by a ة at its end. سَيِّئَةً wears exactly that ة, carrying the final tanwīn. L2 · R1
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' one — no particular one named — and is marked by tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel. سَيِّئَةً ends in the doubled fathah ـً: 'an evil', any evil earned. L2 · R8
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter — doubled here to the tanwīn ـً. سَيِّئَةً ends in exactly that doubled fathah ـً. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, here the doubled fathah ـً at the end of سَيِّئَةً. 'An evil' is what the earning lands on. L9 · R3
وَأَحَـٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ
(…and his sin has encompassed him —)
Root حوط — to surround, to encompass, to guard · 28 times in the Quran
Root خطا — to sin, commit a sin, error · 22 times in the Quran
وَأَحَـٰطَتْword 5
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a particle that joins words or sentences. The prefix وَ 'and' joins the second half of the condition to the first: earned evil AND been encompassed by it. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَحَٰطَتْ names an action — surrounding — from the root حوط: to surround, to encompass. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes what already happened, and who did it is shown by an ending added to the verb. The ending تْ — the 'she' marker, capped with the sukūn ـْ, the small circle meaning its sound stops there — closes أَحَٰطَتْ: 'it surrounded', speaking of the sin as 'she'; the أَ at the front is not a tense marker but belongs to the verb's form. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and a middle weak letter hides behind a long 'ā' sound in the past tense. أَحَٰطَتْ is the root حوط — the long ā after its ح, written as the small raised stroke ٰ, is the weak و in disguise. L24 · R4
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is identified by a hamza prefix (أَ) before the root letters in the past tense. أَحَٰطَتْ shows exactly that أَ at its front — the defining marker of this form. L12 · R5
بِهِۦword 6
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ 'with' is one of the common prepositions: surrounded 'him' — closed in around him. L4 · R2
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a mini-word standing in for a name, here هِۦ 'him' — the one who earned the evil. Though the label reads it as a standalone word, it is written joined after the preposition بِ and works like the glued-on endings for 'his/him': around 'him'. L3 · R7
خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥword 7
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. خَطِيٓـَٔتُ names sin, from the root خطا — to sin, commit a sin, error. L1 · R5
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as grammatically 'she', typically marked by a ة at its end. خَطِيٓئَة 'sin' is such a word — and with the 'his' ending glued straight on, that marker appears here in its open written shape ت. This is why the verb before it wears the 'she' ending تْ. L2 · R1
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject of its sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. خَطِيٓـَٔتُ carries exactly that ḍammah ـُ on its ت. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action in a verb-first sentence, standing in the nominative — shown here by the ḍammah ـُ, the small curl on the ت of خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ. His own sin is what did the surrounding. L9 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; attached to a naming word, it shows possession. The ending هُۥ on خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ stands for 'his': HIS sin. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending هُۥ fills that owner slot: 'the sin OF him'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
"And his sin has surrounded him" — Abu Hurayrah, Abu Wa'il, 'Ata' and Al-Hasan said it means his Shirk has surrounded him; Ar-Rabi' bin Khuthaym said, whoever dies before repenting from his wrongs; Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said it refers to major sins — all carrying similar meanings.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:81–82
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ
(…those are the companions of the Fire;)
Root صحب — to accompany; companion, associate, dweller · 97 times in the Quran
Root نور — fire, light · 194 times in the Quran
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَword 8
Result Particle · فاء الجوابThe result particle is a فَ that introduces the 'then' half of a condition — what follows once the condition holds. The prefix فَ here delivers the sentence's verdict: whoever earns evil and is engulfed by it — THEN those are the companions of the Fire. L14 · R2
Demonstrative Pronoun · اسم إشارةA demonstrative pronoun is a pointing word that singles out specific ones, near or far, and أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ is the far pointing word for a group: 'those'. L3 · R8
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the word a sentence opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, the topic's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ 'those' is that topic; a pointing word keeps one fixed written shape, so the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2
أَصْحَـٰبُword 9
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. أَصْحَٰبُ names companions, from the root صحب — to accompany; companion, associate, dweller. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more, made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside — a 'broken' plural. أَصْحَٰبُ is such a reshaped plural: 'companions'. L2 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject or predicate of a sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. أَصْحَٰبُ ends in exactly that ḍammah ـُ. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that completes the meaning about the topic — Arabic implies the 'are' without writing it — and it can be a whole 'of' phrase. أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ 'companions of the Fire' is exactly that, completing 'those': those ARE the companions of the Fire; أَصْحَٰبُ keeps its own nominative ḍammah ـُ. L6 · R4
ٱلنَّارِ ۖword 10
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال attached to the front of a naming word to mean 'the'. On ٱلنَّارِ the ل is written but not heard, because ن is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — the letters made near where ل itself is made, which swallow the ل of ال — so the ن doubles instead, shown by the shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped mark: an-nār, 'the Fire'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. نَّارِ names the Fire, from the root نور — fire, light. L1 · R1
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثSome naming words are grammatically 'she' — feminine — without any visible marker and must be memorized; نَار 'fire' is one of these special feminine words. L2 · R2
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes as the owner in an 'of' phrase, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. نَّارِ ends in exactly that kasrah ـِ as the second word of 'companions OF the Fire'. L2 · R12
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, the kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. ٱلنَّارِ fills that owner slot after أَصْحَٰبُ, wearing that very kasrah: 'the companions OF the Fire'. L5 · R5
Whoever does an evil deed and abides purposefully in his error, coming on the Day of Resurrection with no good deeds, only evil deeds, will be among the people of the Fire.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:81–82
هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
(…they will abide therein eternally.)
Root خلد — to abide eternally, to remain forever, eternity · 87 times in the Quran
هُمْword 11
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I/you/he/she/they'. هُمْ is the 'they' of that set — the companions of the Fire. L3 · R2
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the word a sentence opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, the topic's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. هُمْ 'they' is that topic; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2
فِيهَاword 12
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِي is such a helper word. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. فِي 'in' is one of the common prepositions: abiding 'in it'. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending هَا on فِيهَا stands for 'it' — the Fire, spoken of as 'she'. L3 · R6
خَـٰلِدُونَword 13
Noun · اسمA noun names a person, place, thing, or quality. خَٰلِدُونَ names ones who abide forever, from the root خلد — to abide eternally, to remain forever, eternity. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); خَٰلِدُونَ ends in that ـُونَ: many abiding ones. L2 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the form a naming word takes as the subject or predicate of its sentence, usually a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. This plural shows it instead by its ending ـُونَ, the subject form carrying the ḍammah ـُ sound — the form a completing word keeps. L2 · R6
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that completes the meaning about the topic — Arabic implies the 'are' without writing it — and it stands in the nominative, shown here by the plural's subject-form ending ـُونَ. It completes هُمْ: they ARE abiding ones in it, forever. L6 · R3
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root, on the pattern فَاعِل, to name the doer of the action. خَٰلِدُونَ is on exactly that pattern — the long ā after its خ, written as the small raised stroke ٰ, and the kasrah ـِ, the small stroke below the ل — naming 'ones who abide'. L11 · R1
So far: “Yes, [on the contrary], whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.”