Surah 9 At-Tawba — Ayah 109
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍۢ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Je ten, jenž založil stavbu svou na bázni Boží a pro Jeho zalíbení, lepší než ten, kdo založil stavbu svou na okraji podemletého břehu a zřítí se s ní do ohně pekelného? Bůh věru nepovede cestou správnou lid nespravedlivý.
afaman assasa bun'yānahu ʿalā taqwā mina l-lahi wariḍ'wānin khayrun am man assasa bun'yānahu ʿalā shafā jurufin hārin fa-in'hāra bihi fī nāri jahannama wal-lahu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīna
Word by word
- أَفَمَنْ afaman Then is (one) who
- أَسَّسَ assasa founded
- بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ bun'yānahu his building
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
- تَقْوَىٰ taqwā righteousness
- مِنَ mina from
- ٱللَّهِ l-lahi Allah
- وَرِضْوَٰنٍ wariḍ'wānin and (His) pleasure
- خَيْرٌ khayrun better
- أَم am or
- مَّنْ man (one) who
- أَسَّسَ assasa founded
- بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ bun'yānahu his building
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
- شَفَا shafā edge
- جُرُفٍ jurufin (of) a cliff
- هَارٍۢ hārin (about to) collapse
- فَٱنْهَارَ fa-in'hāra so it collapsed
- بِهِۦ bihi with him
- فِى fī in
- نَارِ nāri (the) Fire
- جَهَنَّمَ ۗ jahannama (of) Hell
- وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
- لَا lā (does) not
- يَهْدِى yahdī guide
- ٱلْقَوْمَ l-qawma the wrongdoing people
- ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ l-ẓālimīna the wrongdoing people
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The Difference between Masjid At-Taqwa and Masjid Ad-Dirar
Allah the Exalted says that the Masjid that has been built on the basis of Taqwa of Allah and His pleasure is not the same as a Masjid that was been built based on causing harm, disbelief and causing division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His Messenger . The latter built their Masjid on the edge of a steep hole,
فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(into the fire of Hell. And Allah guides not the people who are the wrongdoers.), Allah does not bring aright the works of those who commit mischief. Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "I saw the Masjid that was built to cause harm with smoke rising up from it, during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Allah's statement,
لاَ يَزَالُ بُنْيَانُهُمُ الَّذِى بَنَوْاْ رِيبَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ
(The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of doubt in their hearts) and hypocrisy. Because of this awful action that they committed, they inherited hypocrisy in their hearts, just as those who worshipped the calf were inclined to adoring it. Allah said next,
إِلاَّ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ
(unless their hearts are cut to pieces.) until they die, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Zayd bin Aslam, As-Suddi, Habib bin Abi Thabit, Ad-Dahhak, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and several other scholars of the Salaf.
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ
(And Allah is All-Knowing,) of the actions of His creation,
حَكِيمٌ
(All-Wise.) in compensating them for their good or evil actions.