Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 18

Mufti Taqi Usmani

In fact, the mosques of Allah are built-up only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and those who establish Salāh and pay Zakāh and who fear none but Allah. So, it is hoped that they are to be among those on the right path.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The mosques of Allah should only be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and fear none but Allah. It is right to hope that they will be among the ˹truly˺ guided.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be rightly guided.

A. J. Arberry

Only he shall inhabit God's places of worship who believes in God and the Last Day, and performs the prayer, and pays the alms, and fears none but God alone; it may be that those will be among the guided.

Abdul Haleem

The only ones who should tend God’s places of worship are those who believe in God and the Last Day, who keep up the prayer, who pay the prescribed alms, and who fear no one but God: such people may hope to be among the rightly guided.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They only shall tend Allah's mosques who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give the poor rate and fear none save Allah. Belike those will be of the guided ones.

Abdullah 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 practise regular charity, and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.

Abul Ala Maududi

It only becomes those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish Prayer and pay Zakah and fear none but Allah to visit and tend the mosques of Allah. These are likely to be guided aright.

Ahmed Ali

Only those who believe in God and the Last Day, who fulfil their devotional obligations, pay the zakat, and fear no one but God, can visit the mosques of God. They may hope to be among the guided.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Only those enliven the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and pay the obligatory charity and fear none except Allah – so it is likely that they will be among the people of guidance.

Ali Quli Qarai

Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and maintain the prayer, and give the zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided.

Ali Ünal

Only he will maintain God’s houses of worship (using them for the purposes for which they are built) who believes in God and the Last Day, and establishes the Prescribed Prayer, and pays the Prescribed Purifying Alms, and stands in awe of none but God. It is hoped that such (illustrious) persons will be among the ones guided to achieve their expectations (especially in the Hereafter).

Amatul Rahman Omar

He alone keeps the mosques of Allâh in a good and flourishing state who believes in Allâh and the Last Day and observes Prayer and goes on presenting the Zakât and holds none but Allâh in awe. Therefore it is these alone who are likely to be among those who attain true guidance.

English Literal

But (those who) tend to/visit God`s mosques/places of worshipping God (are) who believed by God and the Day the Last/Resurrection Day, and kept up the prayers, and gave/brought the charity/purification , and did not fear except God, so maybe/perhaps that those they be from the guided.

Faridul Haque

Only those enliven the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and pay the obligatory charity and fear none except Allah - so it is likely that they will be among the people of guidance.

Hamid S. Aziz

Only he shall tend the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the Last Day, and is steadfast in prayer, and practices regular charity, and fears none but Allah. Only these can be expected to be among those who are rightly guided.

Hilali & Khan

The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The idolaters have no right to maintain the mosques of Allah, while bearing witness to disbelief against themselves. These it is whose works are vain; and in the Fire will they abide.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Only he shall visit the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the latter day, and keeps up prayer and pays the poor-rate and fears none but Allah; so (as for) these, it may be that they are of the followers of the right course.

Mohammed Marmaduke William 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.

Muhammad Sarwar

Only those who believe in God, the Day of Judgment, perform their prayers, pay the religious tax, and have fear of God alone have the right to establish and patronize the mosque of God so that perhaps they will have the right guidance.

Qaribullah & Darwish

None should inhabit the mosques of Allah except those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish their prayers and pay the obligatory charity, and fear none except Allah. May these be among the guided.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are on true guidance.

Wahiduddin Khan

Only he should tend God's houses 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: such people may hope to be among the rightly guided.

Talal Itani

The only people to attend God’s places of worship are those who believe in God and the Last Day, and pray regularly, and practice regular charity, and fear none but God. These are most likely to be guided.

Tafsir jalalayn

Only he shall attend God's places of worship who believes in God and the Last Day, and observes prayer, and pays the alms, and fears none but God alone; it may be that those will be among the rightly guided.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللّهِ مَنْ امَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاخِرِ

The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.

Therefore, Allah testifies to the faith of those who maintain the Masjids.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that `Amr bin Maymun Al-Awdi said,

"I met the Companions of the Prophet and they were saying, `The Masjids are the Houses of Allah on the earth. It is a promise from Allah that He is generous to those who visit Him in the Masjids."

Allah said next,

وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَةَ

perform the Salah,

one of the major acts of worship practiced by the body,

وَاتَى الزَّكَاةَ

and give the Zakah,

which is the best act that benefits other people,

وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ

and fear none but Allah,

they fear only Allah, the Exalted, and none else,

فَعَسَى أُوْلَـيِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ



It is they who are on true guidance.

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said about Allah's statement,
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللّهِ مَنْ امَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاخِرِ
(The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day),

"He who singles out Allah (in worship), has faith in the Last Day."

And he said;

"He who believes in what Allah has revealed,

وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَةَ
(perform the Salah), establishes the five daily prayers,

وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ
(and fear none but Allah), worships Allah alone,

فَعَسَى أُوْلَـيِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ


it may be they who are on true guidance.

Allah says, `It is they who are the successful ones in truth.'

Similarly, Allah said to His Prophet,

عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَاماً مَّحْمُودًا

It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud, (17;79)

Allah says here,

`Your Lord (O Muhammad) shall grant you a station of praise, that is, the intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).'

Every `might' in the Qur'an means `shall'.