Surah 9. At-Tawbah

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-16 [2], 17-24 [3], 25-29 [4], 30-37 [5], 38-42 [6], 43-59 [7], 60-66 [8], 67-72 [9], 73-80 [10], 81-89 [11], 90-99 [12], 100-110 [13], 111-118 [14], 119-122 [15], 123-129 [16]

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Quran Text of Verse 17-24مَا(It) is notكَانَ(It) is notلِلْمُشْرِكِیْنَfor the polytheistsاَنْthatیَّعْمُرُوْاthey maintainمَسٰجِدَ(the) masajid of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) masajid of Allahشٰهِدِیْنَ(while) witnessingعَلٰۤیagainstاَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesبِالْكُفْرِ ؕ[with] disbeliefاُولٰٓىِٕكَ(For) thoseحَبِطَتْworthlessاَعْمَالُهُمْ ۖۚ(are) their deedsوَ فِیand inالنَّارِthe Fireهُمْtheyخٰلِدُوْنَ (will) abide forever اِنَّمَاOnlyیَعْمُرُwill maintainمَسٰجِدَ(the) masajid of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) masajid of Allahمَنْ(the one) whoاٰمَنَbelievesبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ الْیَوْمِand the Dayالْاٰخِرِthe Lastوَ اَقَامَand establishesالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اٰتَیand givesالزَّكٰوةَthe zakahوَ لَمْand notیَخْشَfearاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهَAllahفَعَسٰۤیThen perhapsاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseاَنْ[that]یَّكُوْنُوْاthey areمِنَofالْمُهْتَدِیْنَ the guided ones اَجَعَلْتُمْDo you makeسِقَایَةَthe providing of waterالْحَآجِّ(to) the pilgrimsوَ عِمَارَةَand (the) maintenanceالْمَسْجِدِ(of) Al-Masjid Al-Haraamالْحَرَامِ(of) Al-Masjid Al-Haraamكَمَنْlike (the one) whoاٰمَنَbelievesبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ الْیَوْمِand the Dayالْاٰخِرِthe Lastوَ جٰهَدَand strivesفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) AllahلَاThey are not equalیَسْتَوٗنَThey are not equalعِنْدَnearاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَۘthe wrongdoers اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedوَ هَاجَرُوْاand emigratedوَ جٰهَدُوْاand stroveفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahبِاَمْوَالِهِمْwith their wealthوَ اَنْفُسِهِمْ ۙand their livesاَعْظَمُ(are) greaterدَرَجَةً(in) rankعِنْدَnearاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَAnd thoseهُمُtheyالْفَآىِٕزُوْنَ (are) the successful 9. At-Tawbah Page 190یُبَشِّرُهُمْgives them glad tidingsرَبُّهُمْtheir Lordبِرَحْمَةٍof Mercyمِّنْهُfrom Himوَ رِضْوَانٍand Pleasureوَّ جَنّٰتٍand Gardensلَّهُمْfor themفِیْهَاin itنَعِیْمٌ(is) blissمُّقِیْمٌۙenduring خٰلِدِیْنَ(They will) abideفِیْهَاۤin itاَبَدًا ؕforeverاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعِنْدَهٗۤwith Himاَجْرٌ(is) a rewardعَظِیْمٌ great یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْاbelieve!لَا(Do) notتَتَّخِذُوْۤاtakeاٰبَآءَكُمْyour fathersوَ اِخْوَانَكُمْand your brothersاَوْلِیَآءَ(as) alliesاِنِifاسْتَحَبُّواthey preferالْكُفْرَ[the] disbeliefعَلَیoverالْاِیْمَانِ ؕ[the] beliefوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّتَوَلَّهُمْtakes them as alliesمِّنْكُمْamong youفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُ[they]الظّٰلِمُوْنَ (are) the wrongdoers قُلْSayاِنْIfكَانَareاٰبَآؤُكُمْyour fathersوَ اَبْنَآؤُكُمْand your sonsوَ اِخْوَانُكُمْand your brothersوَ اَزْوَاجُكُمْand your spousesوَ عَشِیْرَتُكُمْand your relativesوَ اَمْوَالُand wealthقْتَرَفْتُمُوْهَاthat you have acquiredوَ تِجَارَةٌand the commerceتَخْشَوْنَyou fearكَسَادَهَاa decline (in) itوَ مَسٰكِنُand the dwellingsتَرْضَوْنَهَاۤyou delight (in) itاَحَبَّ(are) more belovedاِلَیْكُمْto youمِّنَthanاللّٰهِAllahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖand His Messengerوَ جِهَادٍand strivingفِیْinسَبِیْلِهٖHis wayفَتَرَبَّصُوْاthen waitحَتّٰیuntilیَاْتِیَAllah bringsاللّٰهُAllah bringsبِاَمْرِهٖ ؕHis Commandوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالْفٰسِقِیْنَ۠the defiantly disobedient

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Translation of Verse 17-24

[9:17] It does not become those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity to visit and tend Allah's mosques while they bear witness of unbelief against themselves.¹⁹ All their works have gone to waste.²⁰ They shall abide in the Fire.

[9:18] It only becomes those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish Prayer and pay Zakah and fear none but Allah to visit and tend the mosques of Allah. These are likely to be guided aright.

[9:19] Do you consider providing water to the Pilgrims and tending the Sacred Mosque equal in worth to believing in Allah and the Last Day and striving in the cause of Allah?²¹ The two are not equal with Allah. Allah does not direct the wrong-doing folk to the Right Way.

[9:20] The higher rank with Allah is for those who believed and migrated and strove in His cause with their belongings and their persons. It is they who are triumphant.

[9:21] Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Him and of His good pleasure. For them await Gardens of eternal bliss.

[9:22] Therein they shall abide forever. Surely with Allah a mighty reward awaits them.

[9:23] Believers, do not take your fathers and your brothers for your allies if they choose unbelief in preference to belief. Whosoever of you takes them as allies those are wrong-doers.

[9:24] Tell them, (O Prophet): "If your fathers and your sons and your brothers and your wives and your tribe and the riches you have acquired and the commerce of which you fear a slackening, and the dwellings that you love, if they are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decree.²² Allah does not guide the evil-doing folk."

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Commentary

19. This lays down the general principle for the guardianship of the places of worship that have been built exclusively for the worship of Allah. Obviously, those people who associate others with Allah in His essence, His rights and His powers cannot be the proper persons to be the guardians, the servants, the managers etc. of such sacred places. And when they themselves reject the invitations to Tauhid, and openly declare that they are not going to dedicate their worship and obedience exclusively o Allah, they automatically forfeit any right they had for the guardianship of such places of worship that had been built for the worship of Allah alone. Though the principle is of a general nature, it has been mentioned here with the particular object of removing the mushriks from the guardianship of the Kaabah and Masjid-i-Haram and establishing permanently the guardianship of the worshipers of one God over them.

20. “Their deeds have become worthless”: including the little real service they did to the house of Allah because they mixed with it shirk and other practices of ignorance. Their little good was destroyed by their far greater evils.

21. This question has been posed to bring home the fact that the guardianship of a shrine or attendance at it or other religious acts that are done for show, and are exploited by worldly people to establish and maintain the show of their piety, have no value whatsoever in the sight of Allah. The real worth of a person with Allah is that he should be sincere in his beliefs and make sacrifices in the Way of Allah, no matter whether he enjoys or does not enjoy such distinctions or happens to descend or not from a family of saints. On the contrary, those people who lack these excellences have no value with Allah, no matter whether they be the descendants of saints or inherit the guardianship of shrines from a long line of saints, or perform some religious acts for show on special occasions. And it is not lawful in any way that the guardianship, etc. of sacred places and institutions should be left in the hands of these worthless people just because they happen to inhere such rights from their forefathers.

22. That is: “The judgment will deprive them of the blessings of the true faith, and of the honor of bearing its standard and leading the world towards its guidance and bestow these on others”.