سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 109
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿109﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Is it then he who laid the foundation of his building on piety to Allâh and His Good Pleasure better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on the brink of an undetermined precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell. And Allâh guides not the people who are the Zâlimûn (cruel, violent, proud, polytheist and wrong-doer).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
109. Which is better: the one who laid the foundation of his building on the fear of Allah and His pleasure, or the one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a crumbling [122] pit, which collapses with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
[122] By "Jurf" is meant such a bank of a river or the like, whose underlying soil has been washed away by the river, and which at any moment can collapse into the river with a single blow of water. In this verse, the fear of Allah and His pleasure are likened to solid and firm ground, while hypocrisy is likened to a hollow pit or trench; that is, any deed founded on hypocrisy, even if it appears good outwardly, such as building a mosque, will ultimately hurl one into the depths of Hell.
[122] By "Jurf" is meant such a bank of a river or the like, whose underlying soil has been washed away by the river, and which at any moment can collapse into the river with a single blow of water. In this verse, the fear of Allah and His pleasure are likened to solid and firm ground, while hypocrisy is likened to a hollow pit or trench; that is, any deed founded on hypocrisy, even if it appears good outwardly, such as building a mosque, will ultimately hurl one into the depths of Hell.
