سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 18
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The Mosques of Allâh shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allâh and the Last Day, perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât and fear none but Allâh. It is they who are on true guidance.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يَعْمُرُ
yaʿmuru
will maintain
مَسَـٰجِدَ
masājida
(the) masajid of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(the) masajid of Allah
مَنْ
man
(the one) who
ءَامَنَ
āmana
believes
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِ
wal-yawmi
and the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ
l-ākhiri
the Last
وَأَقَامَ
wa-aqāma
and establishes
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَءَاتَى
waātā
and gives
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
l-zakata
the zakah
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
يَخْشَ
yakhsha
fear
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهَ ۖ
l-laha
Allah
فَعَسَىٰٓ
faʿasā
Then perhaps
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
those
أَن
an
[that]
يَكُونُوا۟
yakūnū
they are
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
l-muh'tadīna
the guided ones
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.
18. Only those should maintain the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakat, and fear none except Allah [17]. It is expected that they will be among the rightly guided.
[17]
The Meaning of Populating the Mosques: The Qualities of Those Who Populate Them:
By populating is meant coming and going to the mosques for prayers, cleaning the mosques, arranging for their lighting, constructing the mosques, repairing them, and their administration, etc.—all of this is included. And this is the work only of those people in whom especially four qualities are found: faith in Allah and the Last Day, then as an outward testimony of this faith, establishing prayer and giving zakat, and not fearing anyone except Allah. That is, to hold the belief regarding other goddesses, deities, saints, angels, or the spirits of stars that if they become displeased, they can harm or afflict someone with a calamity, and then on this basis to make vows and offerings to them or to perform any ritual of worship—none of this can ever be the way of a believer. Nor can such people ever attain guidance, even if they are the descendants of a prophet and such administration has come to them by inheritance. The populating of mosques and their respect and reverence is a most exalted act, as is clear from the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Whoever builds a mosque seeking the pleasure of Allah, Allah will build for him a similar house in Paradise.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب من بني مسجدا]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If you see a man frequenting the mosque, bear witness to his faith. Because Allah Almighty has said: Only those populate the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:
➊ A just ruler. ➋ A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. ➌ A man whose heart is attached to the mosque. ➍ Two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, meeting for that and parting upon that. ➎ A man whom a woman of status and beauty calls (to sin), but he says: I fear Allah. ➏ A man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given. ➐ A man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes overflow with tears.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الزكوٰة۔ باب الصدقة باليمين]
4. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The angels continue to pray for the person who, after performing prayer, remains seated at his place of prayer in the mosque, as long as he does not lose his state of purity. The angels keep saying: O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب الحدث فى المسجد]
5. Sa’ib bin Yazid says: I was standing in the Prophet’s Mosque when a person threw a pebble at me. I saw that it was Umar bin Khattab. He said to me: “Go and bring those two men.” I brought them. Sayyiduna Umar asked them: “Where are you from?” They said: “From Ta’if.” Sayyiduna Umar said: “If you were from this city, I would have punished you severely. You raise your voices in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” [ بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوٰة۔ باب رفع الصوت فى المسجد]
[17]
The Meaning of Populating the Mosques: The Qualities of Those Who Populate Them:
By populating is meant coming and going to the mosques for prayers, cleaning the mosques, arranging for their lighting, constructing the mosques, repairing them, and their administration, etc.—all of this is included. And this is the work only of those people in whom especially four qualities are found: faith in Allah and the Last Day, then as an outward testimony of this faith, establishing prayer and giving zakat, and not fearing anyone except Allah. That is, to hold the belief regarding other goddesses, deities, saints, angels, or the spirits of stars that if they become displeased, they can harm or afflict someone with a calamity, and then on this basis to make vows and offerings to them or to perform any ritual of worship—none of this can ever be the way of a believer. Nor can such people ever attain guidance, even if they are the descendants of a prophet and such administration has come to them by inheritance. The populating of mosques and their respect and reverence is a most exalted act, as is clear from the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Whoever builds a mosque seeking the pleasure of Allah, Allah will build for him a similar house in Paradise.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب من بني مسجدا]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If you see a man frequenting the mosque, bear witness to his faith. Because Allah Almighty has said: Only those populate the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:
➊ A just ruler. ➋ A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. ➌ A man whose heart is attached to the mosque. ➍ Two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, meeting for that and parting upon that. ➎ A man whom a woman of status and beauty calls (to sin), but he says: I fear Allah. ➏ A man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given. ➐ A man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes overflow with tears.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الزكوٰة۔ باب الصدقة باليمين]
4. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The angels continue to pray for the person who, after performing prayer, remains seated at his place of prayer in the mosque, as long as he does not lose his state of purity. The angels keep saying: O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب الحدث فى المسجد]
5. Sa’ib bin Yazid says: I was standing in the Prophet’s Mosque when a person threw a pebble at me. I saw that it was Umar bin Khattab. He said to me: “Go and bring those two men.” I brought them. Sayyiduna Umar asked them: “Where are you from?” They said: “From Ta’if.” Sayyiduna Umar said: “If you were from this city, I would have punished you severely. You raise your voices in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” [ بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوٰة۔ باب رفع الصوت فى المسجد]
