al-Fisq is interpreted in six ways:
1. The word fisq is used in the sense of maʿṣiya (disobedience/rebellion) with the meaning of kufr (disbelief) in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he brought; as in the following verses:
Indeed, the hypocrites—they are the fāsiqūn {that is, those who rebel against Allah by committing kufr in the Prophet and what he brought}. (al-Tawba 9:67)
That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah does not guide the fāsiq people (that is, among the hypocrites, those who rebel against Allah by committing kufr in the Prophet and what he brought). (al-Tawba 9:80)
All the commands in the surahs al-Baqara, al-Māʾida, al-Tawba, and al-Munāfiqūn concerning the hypocrites and the Jews are of this kind.
2. al-Fisq is used in the sense of rebellion against Allah by abandoning tawhid (the oneness of God), which is shirk (associating partners with God); as in the following verse:
Is a believer like a fāsiq {that is, one who rebels against Allah by abandoning tawhid}? (al-Sajda 32:18)
This verse was revealed concerning al-Walīd b. ʿUqba b. Abī Muʿayṭ, who was a polytheist at that time.
Then Allah, referring to the disbelievers who deny Allah's tawhid,
says as follows:
But the abode of those who have committed fisq {that is, those who rebel against Allah by abandoning tawhid—meaning those who die in this state} is the Fire. (al-Sajda 32:20)
And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled upon those who do fisq {that is, those who rebel against Allah by abandoning tawhid}: they will not believe. (Yūnus 10:33)
There are many similar commands.
3. With al-Fisq, what is meant is maʿṣiya (disobedience) in religion other than shirk and kufr; as in the following verses:
{Moses said}: "My Lord! I have no power except over myself and my brother, so separate us from the fāsiq people (that is, those who rebelled by refusing to enter Jericho in Syria—Moses had commanded them to enter, but they refrained)." (al-Māʾida 5:25)
So do not grieve over the fāsiq people {that is, those who rebelled—without kufr}. (al-Māʾida 5:26) For they had rebelled against Moses by refusing to enter Jericho in the land of Syria. Similarly, they rebelled against Ṭālūt, who said to them:
Indeed, Allah will test you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me (...). But they drank from it, except a few of them. (al-Baqara 2:249)
Thus, those who drank the water rebelled against Ṭālūt. However, all of them were believers.
Muqātil b. Sulaymān al-Balkhī (d. 150 AH)
Qur'anic Terminology Dictionary
(al-Ashbāh wa-l-Naẓāʾir fī 'l-Qur'ān al-Karīm)
4. The word al-Fisq is used in the sense of lying, without kufr being involved; as in the following verses: As for those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses—flog them with eighty lashes and do not accept their testimony ever after. And those—they are the fāsiqūn (that is, those who rebel against Allah by lying, without falling into kufr). (al-Nūr 24:4)
O you who have iman (faith)! If a fāsiq comes to you with some news {that is, if someone comes to you and, in hadith, lies and thus rebels}... (al-Ḥujurāt 49:6)
This verse was revealed concerning al-Walīd b. ʿUqba, who had become Muslim at that time. His maʿṣiya/fisq was that he lied. For he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and falsely claimed, although he had not met them, "Banū al-Muṣṭaliq did not give me their zakat." However, by this act he did not fall into kufr.
5. With al-Fisq, what is meant is committing a sinful act, without kufr; as in the following verse:
Let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness. If you do so, it is indeed fisq for you (that is, it is a sin for you, though not kufr). (al-Baqara 2:282)
6. Fisq is used in the sense of sayyiʾāt (evil deeds); as in the following verse:
There is to be no rafath or fisq (that is, sayyiʾāt/committing evil) during Hajj. (al-Baqara 2:197)
Praise be to Allah Most High, and with the beautiful success He has granted, al-Wujūh wa-l-Naẓāʾir is completed. May Allah send blessings upon His Prophet Muhammad and his family.