9-17 The idolaters have no right to maintain the mosques of Allah, while bearing witness to disbelief against themselves. These it is whose works are vain; and in the Fire will they abide.a
مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا۟ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ شَـٰهِدِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِم بِٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلنَّارِ هُمْ خَـٰلِدُونَ (۱۷)
9-17a: يَعْمُرُوا۟ – عِمَارۃ – It is the opposite of desolate or deserted, that is inhabited or populated. Inhabiting a mosque includes both living in it, visiting it, and maintaining it.
مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ – The idolaters did not have any connection with other mosques but exerted their right on the Sacred Mosque (Kaba) as they visited it as a shrine. So, it is the Sacred Mosque that is called مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ here because all mosques point in its direction. Alternatively, a specific assertion has been made using generic words.
The last section ended with the assertion that it is not enough for a person to only claim verbally that he is a Muslim and so he will be tried for his sincerity and will be required to wage jihad. It is explained here what kind of sacrifices are required by Islam. The idolaters considered it a great service that they were the custodians of Kaba, maintained it and provided water for the pilgrims and in this way kept it inhabited. It is explained here that this is not something of great merit so that Muslims may not think that being custodian of a mosque is something to be proud of. Instead, what is required is to sacrifice wealth and life in the way of Allah, The subject is broached by stating that the idolaters who take great pride in doing these works have no right in the first place to inhabit the mosques of Allah because a mosque is constructed to worship Allah and they worship idols. This is a self-incriminating testimony of their paganism against them because by now the Kaba had been purified of all idols and so it was against the beliefs of the idol worshippers to go to the Kaba or to perform any service. Another reason for beginning this section in this way is that by now an announcement had been made that the idolaters were prohibited from performing hajj and the reason for the prohibition is made manifest here. The reference to their works being in vain is to works that they were proud of, that is the services that they performed at the Kaba. It is stated that if they are involved in idolatry, hajj or service rendered as custodian of Kaba would not benefit them. There is also an indication here that the custodianship of the Kaba will now never be in the hands of a polytheistic nation.
9-18 Only he can maintain the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the Last Day, and keeps up prayer and pays the poor-rate and fears none but Allah. So these it is who may be of the guided ones.
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ (۱۸)
9-19 Do you hold the giving of drink to the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to (the service of) one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives hard in Allah’s way? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. And Allah guides not the iniquitous people.a
أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ ٱلْحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَجَـٰهَدَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَا يَسْتَوُۥنَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۱۹)
9-19a: Thus, minor acts of generosity are not equivalent to the great work of jihad in the way of Allah which is to strive with maximum ability to establish truth in the world. Some have suggested that the revelation of this verse took place when Ibn Abbas came to Makkah as a captive after the battle of Badr and boasted to Ali about the services that idolaters provide to pilgrims in Kaba. This suggestion is apparently not correct because this verse was revealed in 9 hijra.
9-20 Those who believed and fled (their homes), and strove hard in Allah’s way with their wealth and their lives, are much higher in rank with Allah. And it is these that shall triumph.
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهَاجَرُوا۟ وَجَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَآئِزُونَ (۲۰)
9-21 Their Lord gives them good news of mercy and pleasure, from Himself, and Gardens wherein lasting blessings will be theirs,a
يُبَشِّرُهُمْ رَبُّهُم بِرَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ وَرِضْوَٰنٍۢ وَجَنَّـٰتٍۢ لَّهُمْ فِيهَا نَعِيمٌۭ مُّقِيمٌ (۲۱)
9-21a: Allah’s mercy and His pleasure are those magnificent blessings of Paradise which are mentioned separately from the other blessings.
9-22 Abiding therein for ever. Surely Allah has a mighty reward with Him.
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (۲۲)
9-23 O you who believe, take not your fathers and your brothers for friends if they love disbelief above faith. And whoever of you takes them for friends, such are the wrongdoers.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنَكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْكُفْرَ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (۲۳)
9-24 Say: If your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your wives and your kinsfolk and the wealth you have acquired, and trade whose dullness you fear, and dwellings you love, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings His command to pass. And Allah guides not the transgressing people.a
قُلْ إِن كَانَ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ وَأَزْوَٰجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلٌ ٱقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـٰرَةٌۭ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَآ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَجِهَادٍۢ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ (۲۴)
9-24a: This verse lays down a rule for the Muslim community’s national life which the Muslims have forgotten to the extent that a translator of the Quran put a footnote in his translation in which he states that this command is for the Muslims of the early Islamic period and not for the Muslims of the current period. Muslims have become so divorced from the actual condition that became the means for their real life that they do not consider this rule to be practical for implementation anymore. According to the spirit of this verse, Muslims are not prohibited from keeping a relationship with their relatives and kinsmen, or from earning wealth, or to trade, or to make palatial houses. All their worldly affairs are mentioned in this verse, their businesses are mentioned which require constant vigilance and any negligence towards which may result in bankruptcy, and their palatial houses and palaces are mentioned. Muslims are free to indulge in all these worldly activities and strive hard for them, but they must keep one rule paramount in their mind that these things should not be dearer than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in the way of Allah. If they need to sacrifice these things for the sake of Allah, they should do so. If they need to sever their filial relationships for the sake of accepting the truth or for spreading the truth, they should do so. If their wealth is destroyed, then let it be so and if their business will be ruined, let it get ruined. In short, they should be ready to sacrifice these things for Islam. It is the summary of this verse by which the Mujaddid of this century asked his followers to take the pledge: I will give precedence to religion over this world. All these things are included in means but the real purpose is God and His Messenger. It is necessary to sacrifice the means to achieve the purpose. In the end it is stated that if Muslims do not do what is stated in this verse and make these worldly things the purpose of their life, then they will receive the treatment meted out to transgressors.
Bayan-ul-Quran 