Sura-9 [Al Tauba medina 113]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
إِنَّمَا
يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ
اللّهِ مَنْ
آمَنَ بِاللّهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ
الآخِرِ...
9:18. The mosques of God shall be visited and maintained by such as
- believe in God and the Last Day,
...وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ...
- establish regular prayers,
- and practice regular charity,
- and fear none (at all) except God.
C1267. See the previous note.
Sincere Believers are those who have faith in Allah and the future, and have a spirit of devotion and charity -a true and abiding spirit, not merely isolated acts now and again.
Moreover they must not bow to worldly greed or ambition, which produces fear of worldly power.
...فَعَسَى أُوْلَـئِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٨﴾
It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.
C1268. Others may call themselves by what names they like. True guidance is shown by the tests here indicated.
أَجَعَلْتُمْ
سِقَايَةَ
الْحَاجِّ
وَعِمَارَةَ
الْمَسْجِدِ
الْحَرَامِ
كَمَنْ...
9:19. Do ye make the giving of drink to pilgrims, or the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque, equal to (the pious service of)
C1269. Giving drinks of cold water to thirsty pilgrims, and doing material services to a mosque are meritorious acts, but they are only external. If they do not touch the soul, their value is slight. Far greater, in the sight of Allah, are Faith, Endeavour, and self-surrender to Allah.
Men who practice these will obtain honour in the sight of Allah. Allah's light and guidance comes to them, and not to those self-sufficient beings who think that a little show of what the world considers piety is enough.
...آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ ...
those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and strive with might and main in the Cause of Allah?
...لاَ يَسْتَوُونَ عِندَ اللّهِ...
They are not comparable in the sight of Allah:
...وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٩﴾
and Allah guides not those who do wrong.
Asad’s Version:
9: 18 [at-Tawbah, Medina 113, Tabuk 9H]
Asad Only he should visit or tend God’s house of worship who believes in God and the Last Day, and is constant in prayer, and spends in charity, and stands in awe of none but God: for [only such as] these may hope to be among the right-guided! [note 28]
Yusuf Ali The mosques of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in Allah and the Last Day establish regular prayers and practice regular charity and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.
Pickthall He only shall tend Allah's sanctuaries who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor due and feareth none save Allah. For such (only) is it possible that they can be of the rightly guided.
Transliteration Innama_ ya'muru masa_jidalla_hi man a_mana billa_hi wal yaumil a_khiri wa aqa_mas sala_ta wa a_taz zaka_ta wa lam yakhsya illalla_h(a), fa 'asa_ ula_'ika ay yaku_nu_ minal muhtadin(a).
[[ Asad’s note 28 – Lit., “it may well be that there will be among the right-guided”. However, according to Abu Muslim …..as well as the great grammarian Sibawayh…, the word “asa” usually signifying “it may well be”, is here indicative of the hope which the above - mentioned believers may entertain.]]
[[ Ali’s note - 1267 See the previous note. Sincere Believers are those who have faith in Allah and the future, and have a spirit of devotion and charity-a true and abiding spirit, not merely isolated acts now and again. Moreover they must not bow to worldly greed or amibition, which produces fear of worldly power. (9.18)
1268 Others may call themselves by what names they like. True guidance is shown by the tests here indicated. (9.18) ]]
9: 19 [at-Tawbah, Medina 113, Tabuk 9H]
Yusuf Ali Do ye make the giving of drink to pilgrims or the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to (the pious service of) those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and strive with might and main in the cause of Allah? They are not comparable in the sight of Allah: and Allah guides not those who do wrong.
Pickthall Count ye the slaking of a pilgrim's thirst and tendance of the Inviolable Place of Worship as (equal to the worth of him) who believeth in Allah and the Last Day, and striveth in the way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
Transliteration Aja'altum siqa_yatal ha_jji wa 'ima_ratal masjidil hara_mi kaman a_mana billa_hi wal yaumil a_khiri wa ja_hada fi sabililla_h(i), la_ yastawu_na 'indalla_h(i), walla_hu la_ yahdil qaumaz za_limin(a).
[[ Asad’s note 29 – Many commentators see in this verse an allusion to the boast of the pagan Quraysh, before the Muslim conquest of Mecca, that they were superior to all other people on account of their guardianship of the Kaba and their providing water (siqayah) to pilgrims; ………….According to an authentic Tradition quoted by Muslim, Abu Daud and ibn Hibban ( as well as by Tabari), one of the Prophet’s Companion stated in the mosque of Medina, “I would not care, after having accepted Islam, to do any good deed beyond providing water to the pilgrims!” – whereupon another of the Companions declared, “Nay, the maintenance of the Inviolable House of Worship.” But yet another Companion declared, “Nay, struggle (jihad) in God’s cause is far better than what you have mentioned!” A short time afterwards the above Quranic verse was revealed to the Prophet. It would, therefore, appear that what is meant here is the superior value of faith in God and struggle in His cause as compared with acts which, however meritorious, are concerned only with outward forms; in brief, the immense superiority of real self-surrender to God over mere ritual. ]]
[[ Ruby’s note 9:19 – This verse needs to be read with its context. The previous verse and the context is alluding that it is one’s faith that dictates the merit of one’s actions. The actions of giving water to the thirsty pilgrims and taking care of the Mosque are good work but only if these are done with the dictates of conscience and to please God.
If these are reduce to mere rituals devoid of spirituality and faith in God – particularly one who rejects truth mentioned in the previous verse-- then these may not have any value in these by itself. However these same acts are done with the right intention these acts could be deeply righteous acts. There are degrees of piety in Islam. One’s continuous struggle and ‘striving hard’ for one’s conviction and faith in God is far greater than isolated good work or rituals even though these actions may appear good and praise-worthy. Key here is faith in God and the right intention of doing things. Also important is that one’s comprehensive work and attention to his/her faith in life. Isolated rituals do not have much value in Islam even with marginal faith.
If the tradition mentioned in Asad’s note is right then it further explains the meaning of the verse better. A person declaring these kinds of statements demonstrates serious weakness of faith and the deficient understanding what a faith entails. A complete submission to the moral law of God is Islam that includes all the work and aspects of an entire life. There is no compartmentalization of different aspects of work such as rituals etc. If one says ‘I would not do except this’ then that automatically shows one’s lack of faith. A believer cannot think or work like that because that is an attitude of arrogance as to the parameter of judgment which a person cannot judge. On the hand one cannot feel adequate in doing whatever one is doing before God. The sense of humility, uncertainty about the merit of one’s own work, and reliance on God’s mercy are all part of the inner conviction of a believer. ]]
[[ Ali’s note - 1269 Giving drinks of cold water to thirsty pilgrims, and doing material services to a mosque are meritorious acts, but they are only external. If they do not touch the soul, their value is slight. Far greater, in the sight of Allah, are Faith, Endeavour, and self- surrender to Allah. Men who practice these will obtain honor in the sight of Allah. Allah's light and guidance comes to them, and not to those self-sufficient beings who think that a little show of what the world considers piety is enough. (9.19)]]