Skip to content

At-Tawbah 17

Ayah 17 of 129 · Medinan

مَا كَانَ لِلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ أَن يَعۡمُرُواْ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ شَٰهِدِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِم بِٱلۡكُفۡرِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلنَّارِ هُمۡ خَٰلِدُونَ ١٧

It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allāh [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. مَا(It) is notmā
  2. كَانَ(It) is notkāna
  3. لِلۡمُشۡرِكِينَfor the polytheistslil'mush'rikīna
  4. أَنthatan
  5. يَعۡمُرُواْthey maintainyaʿmurū
  6. مَسَٰجِدَ(the) masajid of Allahmasājida
  7. ٱللَّهِ(the) masajid of Allahl-lahi
  8. شَٰهِدِينَ(while) witnessingshāhidīna
  9. عَلَىٰٓagainstʿalā
  10. أَنفُسِهِمthemselvesanfusihim
  11. بِٱلۡكُفۡرِۚ[with] disbeliefbil-kuf'ri
  12. أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ(For) thoseulāika
  13. حَبِطَتۡworthlessḥabiṭat
  14. أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ(are) their deedsaʿmāluhum
  15. وَفِيand inwafī
  16. ٱلنَّارِthe Firel-nāri
  17. هُمۡtheyhum
  18. خَٰلِدُونَ(will) abide foreverkhālidūna

Tafsir

It is not right for the idolaters to attend or care for Allah’s places of worship, worshipping in them, or doing good actions in them, while confirming their disbelief through their displaying of polytheism and the like. Their actions are wasted because they do not have faith, and faith is the condition for actions being accepted. On the Day of Judgement, they will enter the fire of Hell, living in it eternally, unless they repent from idolatry before their death.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran