Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:107

In the codices of the people of Medina and Syria, it is written as alladhīna ittakhadhū (without the wāw), because it is a story standing on its own. In all others, it is written with the wāw, as a conjunction connecting the story of the Mosque of Opposition (Masjid al-Ḍirār)—which the hypocrites established—to their other stories.

It is narrated that when the Banū ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf built the Mosque of Qubā’, they sent for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to come to them. He came and prayed in it. Their brothers, the Banū Ghanm ibn ‘Awf, envied them and said: "Let us build a mosque and send for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to pray in it, and let Abū ‘Āmir the Monk pray in it when he arrives from Syria, so that they may gain merit and superiority over their brothers."

This Abū ‘Āmir is the one whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) named "the Corrupt" (al-fāsiq). On the day of Uḥud, he said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "I will not find a people fighting you but that I will fight you alongside them." He continued to fight him until the day of Ḥunayn. When the Hawāzin were defeated, he fled to Syria and sent word to the hypocrites: "Prepare yourselves with whatever power and weaponry you can, for I am going to Caesar to bring back armies and drive Muhammad and his companions out of Medina."

They built a mosque next to the Mosque of Qubā’ and said to the Prophet (ﷺ): "We have built a mosque for the sick, the needy, and for rainy and cold nights. We would like you to pray in it for us and invoke blessings for us." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "I am on the verge of a journey and occupied. If we return, God willing, we will pray in it."

When he returned from the expedition of Tabūk, they asked him to come to the mosque. Then this [verse] was revealed to him. He called for Mālik ibn al-Dukhshum, Ma‘n ibn ‘Adī, ‘Āmir ibn al-Sakan, and Waḥshī (the killer of Ḥamzah) and said to them: "Go to this mosque whose people are wrongdoers; demolish it and burn it." They did so, and he ordered that the site be used as a dumping ground for carcasses and refuse. Abū ‘Āmir died in Syria at Qinnasrin.

{...out of opposition}—meaning to cause harm to their brothers, the people of the Mosque of Qubā’, and to cause enmity. {...and disbelief}—and to strengthen hypocrisy. {...and division among the believers}—because they used to pray together in the Mosque of Qubā’, which was crowded with them, so they wanted to separate them and cause their word to be divided. {...and as a station}—an outpost and preparation. {...for whoever has warred against Allah and His Messenger}—this is the Monk; they prepared it for him to pray in and to prevail over the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

It is said: Every mosque built for show, hypocrisy, reputation, for a purpose other than seeking the Face of Allah, or with ill-gotten wealth, is attached to the Mosque of Opposition. Shaqīq said that he did not attend prayer in the mosque of the Banū ‘Āmir. When it was said to him, "The people of such-and-such mosque have not yet prayed," he replied: "I do not like to pray in it, for it was built on opposition." Every mosque built on opposition, hypocrisy, or reputation has its origin ending at the mosque that was built for opposition.

‘Aṭā’ said: When Allah opened the lands at the hands of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he ordered the Muslims to build mosques and not to take two mosques in one city that would harm one another.

If you ask: What is the grammatical position of {And those who took...}? I say: It is in the accusative case (naṣb) as an expression of specification (ikhtiṣāṣ), like His saying: {But those who are firm in knowledge...} (4:162). It is also said: It is an initial (mubtada’) whose predicate is omitted, meaning: "Among those we have described are those who took..." like His saying: {The male thief and the female thief...} (5:38).

If you ask: To what does {from before} connect? I say: To "took," meaning: they took a mosque from before these people became hypocrites by staying behind.

{...we intended nothing}—we intended nothing by building this mosque {except the best}—or the good intention, which is prayer, the remembrance of Allah, and providing space for the worshippers.

{...a mosque founded on righteousness}—it is said: This is the Mosque of Qubā’. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) founded it and prayed in it during his stay in Qubā’—Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—and left on Friday. This is more appropriate, as the comparison between the two mosques of Qubā’ is more fitting. It is also said: It is the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Medina.

Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the mosque founded on righteousness. He took some pebbles, struck the ground with them, and said: "It is this mosque of yours, the Mosque of Medina."

{...from the first day}—from the first day of its existence. {...therein are men who love to purify themselves}—it is said: When this was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked with the Emigrants until he stood at the door of the Mosque of Qubā’. The Helpers (Anṣār) were sitting there. He said: "Are you believers?" The people were silent. He repeated it. ‘Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah, they are indeed believers, and I am with them." He (ﷺ) said: "Are you content with the decree?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Are you patient in affliction?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Are you grateful in prosperity?" They said: "Yes." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Believers, by the Lord of the Ka‘bah." He sat down and said: "O company of the Anṣār, Allah has praised you. What do you do when performing ablution and when relieving yourselves?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we follow the stool with three stones, then we follow the stones with water." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) recited: {men who love to purify themselves}.

It is also read as an yaṭṭahharū (with assimilation). It is said: It is general regarding purification from all impurities. It is said: They would not sleep at night while in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah), and they would follow urine with water. Al-Ḥasan said: It is purification from sins through repentance. It is said: They love to be purified by the fever that expiates their sins, so they all suffered from fever.

If you ask: What is the meaning of the two loves? I say: Their love for purification is that they prefer it and are as eager for it as one who loves a desired thing is eager to prefer it. And Allah’s love for them is that He is pleased with them and treats them well, just as a lover does with his beloved.

{Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness 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.}