Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

true colours, and their reality laid bare. If we do this, we will only be doing what wasdone to this mosque once its true nature was unmasked so clearly and powerfully:“And there are those who have established a house of worship out of mischievous motives, topromote unbelief and disunity among the believers, and to provide an outpost for those whohave already been warring against God and His Messenger. They will certainly swear: ‘Wehave only the best of intentions.’ God bears witness that they certainly are liars. Never set afoot there. Only a house of worship that from the very first day has been founded on piety isworthy of you standing to pray there. In it are men who love to grow in purity, for it Godloves those who purify themselves. Who is better: a man who founds his building [motivatedby a sense of] being God-fearing and seeking His goodly acceptance, or one who founds hisbuilding on the edge of a crumbling precipice, so that it tumbles with him in the fire of hell?God does not guide the wrongdoers. The structure which they have built will continue to be asource of disquiet in their hearts, until their hearts are torn to pieces. God is All-knowing,Wise.” (Verses 107-110)The inimitable Qur’ānic style draws here a very vivid picture showing the endwhich awaits every deceptive structure built close to a real mosque or centre of piety,and intended to play the same role as that of the first such mosque built by thehypocrites of Madinah. It reassures the true advocates of faith who are keen to purgethemselves of the evil designs of the enemies of Islam: “Who is better: a man whofounds his building [motivated by a sense of] being God-fearing and seeking His goodlyacceptance, or one who founds his building on the edge of a crumbling precipice, so that ittumbles with him in the Fire of Hell? God does not guide the wrongdoers.” (Verse 109)Let us pause for a moment to look at the solid foundations of a buildingestablished on fear of God. It is firm, solid and well established. Let us then look atthe other side and see the swift and violent movement which shakes the deceptivestructure. It is founded on the edge of a precipice which is crumbling, about tocollapse. We see it now shaking, sliding and falling into a deep precipice. And thatprecipice is the fire of hell. For God provides no guidance for the unbelievers whohave built this edifice to use it as a place of scheming against Islam and the Muslims.This remarkably vivid scene which is full of movement is painted and broughtalive with just a few words, which reassure the advocates of the truth that thescheming of the hypocrites and the unbelievers will come to nought. Thus those whobuild their structure on a proper foundation of fear of God will be able to face up toothers who scheme against this religion of Islam.The sūrah paints another remarkable scene showing the effects on the evil buildersof their deceptive structure: “The structure which they have built will continue to be asource of disquiet in their hearts, until their hearts are torn to pieces. God is All-knowing,Wise.” (Verse 110) The edge has crumbled and the ill-intended structure built on ithas collapsed and fallen into the precipice, into the fire of hell, and good riddance!202