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At-Tawbah (The Repentance)

Verse 18of 129

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ﴿١٨﴾

Translation (Sahih International)

The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakah and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the [rightly] guided.

Word-by-word meaning

إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
يَعْمُرُyaʿmuruwill maintain
مَسَـٰجِدَmasājida(the) masajid of Allah
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(the) masajid of Allah
مَنْman(the one) who
ءَامَنَāmanabelieves
بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiin Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِwal-yawmiand the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِl-ākhirithe Last
وَأَقَامَwa-aqāmaand establishes
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَl-ṣalatathe prayer
وَءَاتَىwaātāand gives
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَl-zakatathe zakah
وَلَمْwalamand not
يَخْشَyakhshafear
إِلَّاillāexcept
ٱللَّهَ ۖl-lahaAllah
فَعَسَىٰٓfaʿasāThen perhaps
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāikathose
أَنan[that]
يَكُونُوا۟yakūnūthey are
مِنَminaof
ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَl-muh'tadīnathe guided ones

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

It is not for Idolators to maintain the Masjids of AllahAllah says that it is not fitting that those who associate others with Allah in worship should maintain the Masjids of Allah that were built in His Name alone without partners. Those who read the Ayah, "Masjid Allah", said that it refers to Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the most honored Masjid on the earth, which was built, from the first day, for the purpose of worshipping Allah alone without partners.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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