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At-Tawbah 109

Ayah 109 of 129 · Medinan

أَفَمَنۡ أَسَّسَ بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقۡوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٍ خَيۡرٌ أَم مَّنۡ أَسَّسَ بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٖ فَٱنۡهَارَ بِهِۦ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١٠٩

Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allāh and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. أَفَمَنۡThen is (one) whoafaman
  2. أَسَّسَfoundedassasa
  3. بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥhis buildingbun'yānahu
  4. عَلَىٰonʿalā
  5. تَقۡوَىٰrighteousnesstaqwā
  6. مِنَfrommina
  7. ٱللَّهِAllahl-lahi
  8. وَرِضۡوَٰنٍand (His) pleasurewariḍ'wānin
  9. خَيۡرٌbetterkhayrun
  10. أَمoram
  11. مَّنۡ(one) whoman
  12. أَسَّسَfoundedassasa
  13. بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥhis buildingbun'yānahu
  14. عَلَىٰonʿalā
  15. شَفَاedgeshafā
  16. جُرُفٍ(of) a cliffjurufin
  17. هَارٖ(about to) collapsehārin
  18. فَٱنۡهَارَso it collapsedfa-in'hāra
  19. بِهِۦwith himbihi
  20. فِيinfī
  21. نَارِ(the) Firenāri
  22. جَهَنَّمَۗ(of) Helljahannama
  23. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allahwal-lahu
  24. لَا(does) notlā
  25. يَهۡدِيguideyahdī
  26. ٱلۡقَوۡمَthe wrongdoing peoplel-qawma
  27. ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَthe wrongdoing peoplel-ẓālimīna

Tafsir

Can those who founded their building on recognition of Allah (by following His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions) and Allah’s pleasure (by doing all forms of good) be equal to those who built a mosque to cause harm to the Muslims, to strengthen disbelief and to cause disunity amongst the believers? They can never be equal! The first have a strong structure with good foundation so it will not collapse; yet the second group are similar to a person who built a structure on the edge of a pit that is about to collapse and which collapses with him into the depths of Hell. Allah does not guide those who do wrong by committing disbelief, hypocrisy and other wrongs.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran