And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allāh from being mentioned [i.e., praised] in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment.
Verse 114 of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:114), a Medinan surah, is in juz 1, on page 18 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 69 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 114
Al-Mukhtasar
No one does greater wrong than those who stop the name of Allah being said in His Houses of worship, preventing the prayer and remembrance of Allah and the recitation of the Qur’ān in them, trying to destroy and ruin them, through tearing them down or stopping people from worshipping in them. Those who try to destroy them should not enter Allah’s places of worship, except fearfully and with trembling hearts, after their disbelief and having stopped people worshipping in them. They will have shame and humiliation in their life on earth at the hands of the believers, and in the Afterlife is a great torment for having stopped people from Allah’s Houses of worship.
Who does greater wrong than the one who prevents Allah’s name to be mentioned in His mosques and strives for their destruction? Such people do not deserve to enter them except in fear47. There is a disgrace for them in this world and a great punishment in the Hereafter.
Notes
[47] Fear of divine justice or the believers will seize them.
And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allâh’s Name be glorified and mentioned much (i.e. prayers and invocations, etc.) in Allâh’s Mosques and strive for their ruin? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them (Allâh’s Mosques) except in fear. For them there is disgrace in this world, and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter.
And who doth greater wrong than he who forbiddeth the approach to the sanctuaries of Allah lest His name should be mentioned therein, and striveth for their ruin. As for such, it was never meant that they should enter them except in fear. Theirs in the world is ignominy and theirs in the Hereafter is an awful doom.
And who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of Allah, Allah's name should be celebrated?-whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them except in fear. For them there is nothing but disgrace in this world, and in the world to come, an exceeding torment.
And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them? (As for) these, it was not proper for them that they should have entered them except in fear; they shall meet with disgrace in this world, and they shall have great chastisement in the hereafter.
And who is more unjust than he who prevents (praying in) the mosques of Allah so that His Name be not mentioned in them, and endeavors (diligently) for their ruin? Those can in no way enter them except in fear, for them is disgrace in the present life (Literally: The lowly, i.e., the life of this world) and in the Hereafter they will have a tremendous torment.
It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allāh [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally. …
Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who associated with Allāh - Allāh will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allāh is, over all things, Witness.
But why should Allāh not punish them while they obstruct [people] from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām and they were not [fit to be] its guardians? Its [true] guardians are not but the righteous, but most of them do not know.
They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And if not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know - that you might trample [i.e., kill] them and there would befall you because of them dishonor without [your] knowledge - [you would have been permitted to enter Makkah]. [This was so] that Allāh might admit to His mercy whom He willed. If they had been apart [from them], We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with painful punishment
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Ḥarām after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allāh will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
O Messenger, let them not grieve you who hasten into disbelief – of those who say, "We believe" with their mouths, but their hearts believe not, and from among the Jews. [They are] avid listeners to falsehood, listening to another people who have not come to you. They distort words beyond their [proper] places [i.e., usages], saying, "If you are given this, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware." But he for whom Allāh intends fitnah - never will you possess [power to do] for him a thing against Allāh. Those are the ones for whom Allāh does not intend to purify their hearts. For them in this world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.
And if not that Allāh had decreed for them evacuation, He would have punished them in [this] world, and for them in the Hereafter is the punishment of the Fire.
Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allāh and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment,
