As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 9, At-Tauba or Repentance, verses 17-29. These verses cover a number of subjects. The Mushrikeen (or those who associate others with Allah) cannot be caretakers of mosques. Service to pilgrims who come on the Haaj is not equal to true belief in God. Do not take your fathers and brothers as friends if they prefer Kufr (unbelief) over Imaan (belief). Lastly, God only helps the qualities of followers, not the quantity of them.
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Verses
It is not for the mushrikïn to maintain the mosques of Allah while they bear witness against themselves about their unbelief. It is they whose deeds are in vain and in the hell-fire shall they live forever.[17] The mosques of Allah should be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish Salah (prayers), and pay Zakah (charity) and fear none except Allah. It is they who are expected to follow the true guidance.[18] 9:[17-18]
Have you made those who provide water to the pilgrims and maintain the Masjid-al-Harãm equal to those who believe in Allah, the Last Day and make Jihãd (striving in the cause of Allah)? They are not equal in the sight of Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.[19] Those who believe (embrace Islam), leave their homes (migrate), and make Jihãd with their wealth and persons in the cause of Allah, have higher rank in the sight of Allah. It is they who will be truly successful.[20] Their Lord gives them good news of His mercy, His good pleasure, and paradise with everlasting bliss.[21] They will live therein forever. Surely it is Allah with Whom is the mighty reward.[22] 9:[19-22]
O believers! Do not take your fathers and your brothers as your friends if they prefer Kufr (unbelief) over Imãn (belief); for those who turn away from this commandment shall be considered wrongdoers.[23] O Prophet, tell them: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your relatives, the wealth that you have acquired, the business in which you fear a loss, and the homes which you like are dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger, and making Jihãd (struggle) in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His decision. Allah does not guide the transgressors.[24] 9:[23-24]
Allah has indeed helped you in many battlefields and (recently) on the day of Hunain: when you were proud of your great numbers (the Muslim army was 12,000 strong and the unbelievers were only 4,000), but the numbers availed you nothing. The earth, with all its vastness, seemed to close in upon you, and you turned your backs and fled.[25] But Allah sent down His sakeenah (peace and tranquility) upon His Messenger and the believers and sent down to your aid those forces which you could not see, and punished the unbelievers. Thus was the recompense for the unbelievers.[26] Then after that, you also witnessed that Allah guided to repent some of them whom He wanted, for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.[27] 9:[25-27]
O believers! Know that mushrikïn are unclean; therefore, do not let them come near the Masjid-al-Harãm after this year’s pilgrimage. If you fear poverty, soon Allah – if He so wills – will enrich you out of His bounty. Allah is All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise.[28] Fight those people of the Book (Jews and Christians) who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, do not refrain from what has been prohibited by Allah and His Messenger and do not embrace the religion of truth (Al-Islam), until they pay Jizya (protection tax) with their own hands and feel themselves subdued.[29] 9:[28-29]
Ameen.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.