The word “Balaa” is normally translated as, )Yes(. However, it means agreeing to the opposite of what a person says. Thus, it is a positive answer for a question which contains a negation.
The word “Ahaatat” has “Al-Ihatah” as a )noun(. “Al-Ihatah” means something surrounded from every direction. Those who fabricate lies against Allah U, write the Books with their hands and claim that it is from Allah U and say of the Holy Qur’an what is not part of it, have committed grave disobediences.
The eternal abode in hell-fire is not for the committing of small sins. The Prophet r has said:
((مَنْ قَالَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ بِرَأْيِهِ أَوْ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ))
“Whosoever says of the Qur’an according to his own opinion, or what he does not know, let him have his abode in the Hellfire.”[1]
This is because, their sin is at the peak of disobedience.
‘Balaa’: This means: “Yes, you are the ones who have committed the mistakes.
The eternal abode in hell-fire is not for the committing of small sins but for the grave sins. Thus, they are promised this as they had distorted the words of Allah. There has to be punishments for the crimes that are committed by people. If not, the affairs in the world would be ruined.
﴾فَأُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ﴿ “those are the companions of the Fire” : The Holy Qur’an uses the word ‘Ashab’ )which means ‘companions’(here, as a person himself choses his companions. Therefore, these people have sent their own selves to this place of return. They themselves have chosen the hellfire, whereas Allah U did not force this choice on them.