Tafsir of Al-Jinn 72:18

This is a conjunction following "that he listened," and is thus part of what was revealed. The apparent meaning is that "the mosques" refers to the places prepared for prayer and worship; meaning: It was revealed to me that the mosques are exclusively for Allah, the Exalted is His majesty.

"So do not call upon"—that is, do not worship within them—"along with Allah anyone" other than Him, the Glorified. Al-Hasan said: The intent is every place on earth where one prostrates, whether it was prepared for that or not, for the entire earth is a mosque for this nation. It is as if he derived this from the authentic hadith: "The earth has been made for me a place of worship (mosque) and a means of purification." It is widely known that this is one of the distinct characteristics of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—meaning his Sharia—and thus it belongs to him and his nation. Prior to this, prayer was permitted only in synagogues and churches.

This has been challenged by the fact that Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, used to travel extensively, as did other prophets, peace be upon them. If prayer were not permissible for them in places other than those mentioned, it would necessitate the abandonment of prayer at many times, which is unlikely, especially regarding Al-Khidr, peace be upon him. For this reason, it has been said that what is specifically unique is the combination of it being both a mosque and a means of purification. It is sufficient for its exclusivity that it pertains to the exclusivity of Tayammum (dry ablution). It has been answered that the exclusivity is in relation to previous nations, not their prophets, peace be upon them. As for Al-Khidr, if he is alive today, he is of this nation, whether he is a prophet or not, due to the report: "If Musa (Moses) were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me." His ruling as a prophet preceding him is apparent, and the matter regarding him if he is not a prophet is simple.

It has also been said that it refers to the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram), meaning the Ka'bah itself, or the entire Sanctuary, according to some. The plural is used because every side of it is a mosque with a specific prayer direction (qiblah), or because, since it is the qiblah of all mosques—for every qiblah is directed toward it—it is figuratively considered to be all the mosques collectively. Others say it refers to both it and the Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Abbas that on the day "And that the mosques are for Allah..." was revealed, there were no mosques on earth except the Sacred Mosque and the mosque of Iliya (Jerusalem). The order of the plural in this interpretation is more apparent than the first, for it is not like the first, which is contrary to the apparent meaning; what was mentioned previously does not serve as sufficient evidence for it.

Ibn 'Ata, Ibn Jubayr, Al-Zajjaj, and Al-Farra' said the meaning is the seven parts of the body upon which one prostrates—each of which is called a masjid (a place of prostration)—namely: the feet, the knees, the hands, and the face (the forehead and the nose). It is reported that Al-Mu'tasim asked Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa al-Kadhim, may Allah be pleased with them, about this, and he answered with what has been mentioned. It is also said that it refers to the prostrations themselves, considering masjid (with a fathah on the jim) to be a masdar mimi (a verbal noun).

It is reported from Al-Khalil bin Ahmad that the verse "And that the mosques..." is with an implied lam of cause (li-ta'lil), and it is connected to what follows, with masajid in its known meaning. That is: Because the mosques are for Allah, do not call upon anyone along with Allah. Since the fa (in "so do not call upon") is not in response to a realized condition, it is in reality redundant; thus, it does not prevent the object of what follows it from being placed before it. Indeed, many have said it was brought to incorporate the meaning of a condition into the speech. The meaning is: Allah, the Exalted, loves that He be unified and that no one be associated with Him. If they do not unify Him in all other places, then do not call upon anyone along with Him in the mosques, because the mosques are for Him, the Glorified, and are exclusive to Him. Associating others with Him within them is even more abominable. Similar to this is His saying: "For the accustomed security of the Quraysh... let them worship..." This is not considered a realized condition, and the difficulty of deeming the fa as useless is averted by what has been mentioned, for it is for causality, and its meaning is derived from the implied lam.

It is also said that it is an emphasis for the lam, or a redundant particle brought to signal its meaning and that it is implied. The address in "do not call upon" is said to be directed to the Jinn, and this is supported by what is narrated from Ibn Jubayr, who said that the Jinn said: "O Messenger of Allah, how can we attend the prayer with you while we are distant from you?" Then the verse was revealed to address them, meaning: Your worship is accepted wherever it may be, provided you do not associate anything with Him. This is a general address. According to Qatadah, when the Jews and Christians entered their synagogues and churches, they would associate partners with Allah, so we were commanded by this verse to make our supplication exclusive to Allah when we enter the mosques. According to Ibn Jurayj, it means He commanded them to unify Him.