At-Tawbah 9:13–18

After that, to persuade Muslims to fight, they were told in verse 13 that there was no reason why they would not be ready to fight against the kind of people who had conspired to expel the Messenger of Allah. This refers to the Jews of Madinah who had hatched a plan to expel the Holy Prophet ﷺ from the city of Madinah. They had said: لَيُخْرِ‌جَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ (the one having more honor and power will certainly expel the one being humble and weak from there - 63:8). In their self-view, they were the people of honor and power while Muslims were weak and lowly. The answer they needed was given by Allah Al-mighty in His way. He took their proud statement as it was and made it come true in a manner that the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, by turning the Jews out of Madinah, proved that honor belonged to Muslims and disgrace to Jews.

Giving the second reason for fighting against them, it was said: وَهُم بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّ‌ةٍ (and it was they who started [ fighting ] against you for the first time). The sense is that they were the aggressors. What Muslims have to do now is simply to defend themselves, an action universally sane and normal.

Then, to remove the awe of the enemy from the hearts of Muslims, it was said: أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ ۚ فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ (Do you fear them? Then, Allah is worthier that you fear Him) for there is no power that can cause His punishment to disappear. Finally, by saying: إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ (if you are be-lievers), it was made clear that fearing anyone or anything other than Allah in a manner that obstructs the fulfillment of the injunctions of the Shari’ ah of Islam is not what a true believing-practicing Muslim would do.

For Muslims, the same exhortation to fight in Jihad appears in verses 14 and 15 as well, though from a different angle. They were told:

1. If you get ready to fight them, the help and support from Allah will be with you. As for their enemies, they have already become deserving of Divine punishment because of their evil deeds but this punishment will not come down upon them from the heavens or up from beneath the Earth. Instead of that, says the verse: يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ 'hat is, ` Allah shall punish them at their hands.'

2. As a result of this fighting, Allah Ta` ala will mollify the hearts of Muslims after all those pains and sorrows continuously inflicted upon them by the disbelievers.

3. Then, the anger which filled Muslim hearts because of their treachery and pledge breaking was to be removed by Allah Ta` ala when He punishes them at their hands.

In the previous verse (12), by saying: لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنتَهُونَ (so that they may stop), Muslims were told that they should not fight a people just to release their anger, rather make their correction and betterment the main purpose of their action. When they cleanse their intention from all irrelevant shades, and let it be for Allah alone, and fight for none but Allah, then, Allah Ta'ala shall cause things to unfold in a manner that automatically removes the feelings of anger and sorrow raging in their hearts.

1. Finally, it was said: وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ (And Allah relents to whomsoever He wills -15). This tells us that there will be an added gain as a result of this Jihad. There will be many from among the enemies who will have the taufiq of Islam. They will become Muslims. So, there were many arrogant ones at the time of the Conquest of Makkah who were put to disgrace while there were many others who embraced Islam.

History proves that the circumstances and events predicted in these verses were witnessed one by one as pointed out by the Holy Qur'an. Therefore, these verses contain many miracles.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses was how crooked the Mushrikin of Makkah were, how they broke their pledges and what they did to defend their false ways in religion. With this in view, Muslims were also brought around to stand up against them. In the last previous verse (16), Muslims have been told that Jihad is a test for them. This test is necessary because it helps in marking out a sincere Muslim from hypocrites and the weak-in-faith. Says the verse: ` Do you think that you will be left alone while Allah has not seen those of you who struggle in jihad and never take anyone, other than Allah and His Messenger and the believers, as their confidant?'

The address in this verse is also to those common people who were taken to be Muslims, though some of them were hypocrites while some others were weak in faith and kept wavering. Such people would pass on sensitive information about Muslims to their non-Muslim friends. Therefore, two signs of a sincere Muslim were identified in this verse.

Two signs of sincere Muslims

(1) They fight disbelievers in the way of Allah.

(2) They take no non-Muslim as their close friend to whom secrets are confided.

At the end of the verse, it was said: وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ‌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (And Allah is [ All ] Aware of what you do) that is, before Him nobody can get away with false excuses and alibis.

This wisdom of Jihad mentioned earlier has appeared in another verse of the Holy Qur'an in the following words: أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَ‌كُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ (Do people think that they will be left to say, "We believe," and they will not be tried? - 29:2)

On taking non-Muslims as close friends and insiders

The word: ولیجہ (walijah) used in verse 16 means an insider who shares secrets. There is another verse which uses the word: بطانہ (bitanah) to carry this very sense. Literally, بطانہ ` bitanah' means what is worn under normal clothing and is close to the body. It denotes a person who knows secrets as an insider. The actual words of the verse read: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا O those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but from your own selves for they would spare no effort to put you in trouble). (3:118)

Now we can turn to the present verses (17 and 18) where instructions have been given to cleanse al-masjid-al-Haram and other masajid (mosques) of false modes of worship and replacing them with what is correct and acceptable.

A little background detail is in order at this point. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ got rid of all those idols the Mushriks used to worship from the Baytullah and the Sacred Mosque soon after the conquest of Makkah, it was a matter of relief, at least externally, for the Sacred Mosque was now free from the physical vestiges of Shirk. But, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had granted his old enemies pardon and protection soon after they were overpowered. They still used to do their ` Ibadah and Tawaf in the Sacred Mosque following their false ways.

That the Sacred Mosque was cleansed of idols was good, but it was also necessary to purify this sacred site from the fallout of idolatry and its false mores. The only way it could be done was to prohibit the entry of the Mushriks into the Sacred Mosque. But, this would have gone against the promise of protection given to them - and abiding by the terms of a treaty was far more important in Islam. Therefore, such orders were not given immediately. Instead, it was done in the year next to the conquest of Makkah. At that time, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ make an an-nouncement in the great gathering of Mina and ` Arafat that, in the future, no ` Ibadah, Hajj or Tawaf performed in the Mushrik way will be allowed in the Sacred Mosque. Also prohibited through this announcement was the evil custom of making Tawaf in the nude that had lingered from the days of Jahiliyah. It was in the gathering at Mina that Sayyidna Ali ؓ proclaimed:

لَا یَحُجَّنَّ بعد العام مشرِکُ ولا یَطُوفَنَّ بِالبَیتِ عُریَانُ

After this year, no Mushrik will perform Hajj and no naked person will make Tawaf of Baytullah.

And this respite of one year was given for the reason that there were many people among them with whom Muslims had a treaty and they had continued to abide by the terms of the treaty. That they should be made to obey a new law before the expiry of the existing treaty with them was contrary to Islamic policy of tolerance. There-fore, a public announcement was made a year in advance to the effect that it has been decided to cleanse the Sacred Mosque from all Mushrik customs and ways of worship - because, their kind of worship would not let a mosque flourish, rather would go on to make it desolate.

These Mushriks of Makkah equated their pagan customs with ` worship' and thought that they were contributing towards the maintenance and functional thriving of the Sacred Mosque. They were proud of being the custodians of the Baytullah and the Sacred Mosque. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ says, ` when his father, before he became a Muslim, was taken prisoner at the battle of Badr, Muslims reproached him for staying on the side of Kufr and Shirk. He told them, ` you only remember what is bad about us. You do not like to talk about our good things. Do you not know that we are the custodians of the Sacred Mosque? We take care of the building. We keep it filled with people. We manage it and we run a drinking water service for the pilgrims. Revealed thereupon were the verses: مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُ‌وا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ (It is not for the Mushriks to build up the mosques of Allah). It means that Mushriks (those who ascribe partners to Allah) do not have the right to build and populate the mosques of Allah. The reason is that a masjid is a place that has been built to worship One God while Shirk and Kufr are its antithesis that cannot be combined with the structure and function of a masjid.

The word: عمارہ (` imarah: building) appearing in this verse is a multi-faceted word and is used to convey several meanings. It could mean the physical building of the masjid including all elements that go in raising and finishing it externally and internally. Then, it could also denote the maintenance of the masjid that would be inclusive of security arrangements, sanitation, upkeep and provision of necessary supplies. And then, it also includes the human dimension of the masjid - that believers present themselves in the masjid for ` Ibadah. (Since there is no exact equivalent in English to carry this sense, the nearest one could come would be to populate, people, fill up, make the masjid flourish in the number of those present and in the quality of acts of ` Ibadah they perform therein.) Incidentally, ` Umrah (عمرہ) is called by that name in view of the fact that one visits Baytullah and makes the best of his presence there in terms of ` Ibadah.

So, the sense of the Qur'anic word ` imarah' covers building, maintenance and presence. The Mushriks of Makkah took credit for all three. They took special pride in considering themselves the custodians of the building of the Sacred Mosque. The present verses tell them that the Mushriks did not have any right to build the mosques of Allah while they were witnesses of their own infidelity. Because of their Kufr and Shirk, their deeds had gone waste and they were to live in the Fire of Jahannam eternally.

The expression: ` witnesses of their own infidelity' could have two meanings. It could either mean that they were virtually confessing to their Kufr and Shirk because of what they were doing as Mushriks. Or, it could refer to their implied confession and witnessing of their Kufr and Shirk when they identify themselves in social situations. Customarily, when a Christian or Jew is asked as to his religious identity, he would say that he was a Christian or Jew. The same would be the case with a fire-worshipper or idolater. They would identify them-selves with what they believe in. Thus, the Mushriks will become witnesses of their infidelity against themselves. (Ibn Kathir)

Verse 17 was describing the negative aspect as related to the Mushriks. It said that they did not deserve the honor of building and maintaining mosques. Verse 18 takes up the positive aspect relating to mosques by saying:

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ‌ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿18﴾

In fact, the mosques of Allah are built-up only by those who believe in Allah and in the Last Day and those who establish Salah and pay Zakah and who fear none but Allah. So, it is in all likelihood that they are to be among those on the right path.

It means the building of mosques in the real sense is a serene task. It can be done only by those who are bound by the commandments of Allah in their ` Aqidah (faith) and ` Amal (practice). They must believe in Allah and in the 'Akhirah, establish Salah, pay Zakah and fear none but Allah. At this place, only 'Iman (faith) in Allah and 'Akhirah (Last Day) have been mentioned. Faith in the Rasul (Messenger) of Allah was not mentioned expressly because there is no way one can have faith in Allah Ta` ala except that one puts his or her faith in His Rasul - and wholeheartedly accepts the commandments that come from Allah Ta` ala through him. Therefore, ` faith in the Rasul' is naturally included under ` faith in Allah.' This is why the Holy Prophet ﷺ once asked his noble Companions ؓ ، ` Do you know what 'Iman in Allah is?' The Companions said, ` Allah and His Rasul know best.' He said, ` Iman in Allah is that one bears witness to the fact that there is no one worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Rasul of Allah.' This Hadith clearly states that having faith in the Rasul is included under having faith in Allah and is comprehensively united with it. (Mazhari with reference to al-Bukhari and Muslim)

As for the statement: ` fear none but Allah,' it means that, in matters of religion, one should not abandon the command of Allah out of some fear. Otherwise, fearing things that cause fear is quite natural. Beasts, snakes, thieves and robbers generate physical fear but that is not the kind of fear we are talking about here. When the magicians showed snakes made of ropes and staffs to Sayyidna Musa, he had a sense of fear within himself as mentioned in the Qur'an فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ ﴿67﴾ - 20:67. Therefore, the normal fear caused by what causes pain or brings loss is neither contrary to the injunction of the Qur'an nor to the station of a prophet, wallyy or saint. However, one should not become so overcome by this fear as to start creating confusion about the injunctions of Allah Ta` ala or leaving them out altogether. This is not the style of a true believer and this is precisely what is meant at this place.

Some related issues

When it is said in the present verses that Mushriks and Kafirs cannot take up the task of ` maintaining' a masjid which was something only righteous Muslims could do, it refers to the trusteeship and administrative responsibility of the masjid. The outcome is that it is not permissible to appoint a Kafir the trustee and administrator of any Islamic Waqf (endowment). As for the construction of the different units of the structure such as walls and doors, it does not matter even if some non-Muslim is assigned to do the job. (Tafsir Maraghi) Similarly, when a non-Muslim makes a masjid as an act of thawab, or contributes funds for its building, then, it is permissible to accept it. However, the condition is that there should be no danger of a religious or worldly loss, or blame, or usurpation of the property later, or harping on the favor done. (Al-Du rr al Mukhtar, Shami and Maraghi)

It was hinted in verse 18 that building a masjid and making it throb with multitudes of Muslims making prayers, remembering Allah and reciting the Qur'an is a task that can only be accomplished by a righteous Muslim. It proves that anyone who keeps coming to the masjid either to supervise arrangements for the security, maintenance, upkeep and supplies for the masjid, or for the Dhikr of Allah, or to learn about his religion, or to recite or teach the Holy Qur'an is a perfect believer. These deeds are sufficient as witnesses to this honor.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` when you notice that a person is punctual with his presence in the masjid, bear witness to his ‘Iman - because, Allah Ta` ala has said: إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ‌ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ (In fact, the masjid of Allah are built-up only by those who believe in Allah... - 18). Imam Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah have reported this Hadith on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Said Al-Khudri ؓ .

It appears in Al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` a person who presents himself in the masjid morning and evening, Allah Ta` ala sets aside a rank of Paradise for him.'

And Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` a person who comes into the masjid is a visiting guest of Allah Ta` ala - and it is incumbent on the host that He honors the guest.' (Mazhari with reference to Tabarani, Ibn Jarir, al-Baihagi and others)

The commentator of the Qur'an, Qadi Thana'ullah of Panipat has said, ` the expression ` maintenance of the masjid' also requires that the masjid should be cleansed of things and practices for which it was not made. It includes activities like buying and selling, worldly conversation, search of lost property, asking people for material help, recitation of idle poetry, disputation, fighting, disturbing peace by noises and things like that. (Mazhari)