Surah Tawbah ayat 109 Tafsir Quran 9:109

﴿أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾
[ التوبة: 109]

9:109 Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah 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 Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Is he who founded his building upon fear of God and in hope of beatitude from Him better or he who founded his building upon the brink the edge of a bank an overhang that is crumbling about to collapse read juruf or jurf so that it toppled with him so that it collapsed taking with it the one who built it into the fire of Hell? this is an excellent similitude for building upon that which constitutes the opposite of fear of God and for what it leads to; the interrogative is meant as an affirmative in other words the former is the better which is the likeness of the building of the mosque of Qubā’ while the latter is the likeness of the mosque of ‘harm’ masjid al-dirār. And God guides not the evildoing folk.

Is he who has built his structure on a foundation of piety and the gratification of Allah better or the one who has built his structure on a foundation of impiety featured by a building founded on an undermined sandcliff which collapses and crumbles away in the fire of Hell! And Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the wrongful of actions

The Difference between Masjid At-Taqwa and Masjid Ad-Dirar Allah the Exalted says that the Masjid that has been built on the basis of Taqwa of Allah and His pleasure is not the same as a Masjid that was been built based on causing harm, disbelief and causing division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His Messenger .
The latter built their Masjid on the edge of a steep hole, فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( into the fire of Hell.
And Allah guides not the people who are the wrongdoers. ), Allah does not bring aright the works of those who commit mischief.
Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "I saw the Masjid that was built to cause harm with smoke rising up from it, during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Allah's statement, لاَ يَزَالُ بُنْيَانُهُمُ الَّذِى بَنَوْاْ رِيبَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of doubt in their hearts ) and hypocrisy.
Because of this awful action that they committed, they inherited hypocrisy in their hearts, just as those who worshipped the calf were inclined to adoring it.
Allah said next, إِلاَّ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ ( unless their hearts are cut to pieces. ) until they die, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Zayd bin Aslam, As-Suddi, Habib bin Abi Thabit, Ad-Dahhak, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and several other scholars of the Salaf. وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ ( And Allah is All-Knowing, ) of the actions of His creation, حَكِيمٌ ( All-Wise. ) in compensating them for their good or evil actions.

(9:109) Why, is he better who founded his building upon Allah's fear and for His approval or he who founded his building on the brink of an under-mined bank *103 that tumbled with him down into the fire of Hell? Allah never shows the Right Way to such workers of iniquity *104 .

Then is one who laid the foundation meaning

*103) In order to comprehend fully the implications of this simile, let us first consider the significance of the Arabic word ~~ ( Juruf ).
This applies to the brink of that piece of land which has been undermined by a river or a stream, leaving its surface without any support.
In this meaningful simile the construction of the structure of life on the Godless foundations has been compared to that building which is built on the river brink, which has been undermined by its water.
It is obvious that the ignorant man who builds a structure on the surface of such a piece of land, merely because it is a piece of land, will not only lose the building but will also lose his own life, for it will inevitably fall down into the river along with him because it has nothing to support it.
Likewise, the one who lays the foundation of the structure of the system of his life on the surface of worldly things, without any regard to God's fear or His favour which are the only permanent supports of human life, is like the man who builds his structure on the surface undermined by the river.
For such a man himself undermines the structure of his life by his wrong deeds which inevitably follow if there is no bed-rock of God's fear and His favour.
Therefore the surface on which he had built his life would one day inevitably tumble down into the abyss of Hell along with the earnings of his whole life.

*104) " The Right Way " that leads to man's real success.

 

The Difference between Masjid At-Taqwa and Masjid Ad-Dirar Allah the Exalted says that the Masjid that has been built on the basis of Taqwa of Allah and His pleasure is not the same as a Masjid that was been built based on causing harm, disbelief and causing division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His Messenger .
The latter built their Masjid on the edge of a steep hole, فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( into the fire of Hell.
And Allah guides not the people who are the wrongdoers. ), Allah does not bring aright the works of those who commit mischief.
Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "I saw the Masjid that was built to cause harm with smoke rising up from it, during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Allah's statement, لاَ يَزَالُ بُنْيَانُهُمُ الَّذِى بَنَوْاْ رِيبَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of doubt in their hearts ) and hypocrisy.
Because of this awful action that they committed, they inherited hypocrisy in their hearts, just as those who worshipped the calf were inclined to adoring it.
Allah said next, إِلاَّ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ ( unless their hearts are cut to pieces. ) until they die, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Zayd bin Aslam, As-Suddi, Habib bin Abi Thabit, Ad-Dahhak, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and several other scholars of the Salaf. وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ ( And Allah is All-Knowing, ) of the actions of His creation, حَكِيمٌ ( All-Wise. ) in compensating them for their good or evil actions.

( Is he who founded his building ) is he who builds its foundation ( upon duty to Allah ) upon obedience and remembrance of Allah ( and His good pleasure ) they built the will of their Lord’s good pleasure, i.e. the mosque of Quba’ ( better; or he who founded his building ) or he who builds its foundation, i.e. the mosque of opposition ( on the brink of a crumbling, overhanging precipice ) without a base ( so that it toppled with him ) the one who build it ( into the fire of hell? Allah guideth not wrong-doing folk ) Allah neither forgives the hypocrites nor saves them.

Is it then he, who laid the foundation of his building on piety to Allah and His Good Pleasure, better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on an undetermined brink of a precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell. And Allah guides not the people who are the Zalimun (cruel, violent, proud, polytheist and wrong-doer).

Page 204 English transliteration