Surah At-Tawba 9:17 — translation and meaning

التوبة · Verse 17 / 129 · Page 189

ۚ مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ

Word by Word

ۚ
مَا
ma
(It) is not
كَانَ
kana
(It) is not
لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ
lil'mush'rikina
for the polytheists
أَن
an
that
يَعْمُرُوا
ya'muru
they maintain
مَسَاجِدَ
masajida
(the) masajid of Allah
اللَّهِ
al-lahi
(the) masajid of Allah
شَاهِدِينَ
shahidina
(while) witnessing
عَلَى
ala
against
أَنفُسِهِم
anfusihim
themselves
بِالْكُفْرِ
bil-kuf'ri
[with] disbelief
أُولَئِكَ
ulaika
(For) those
حَبِطَتْ
habitat
worthless
أَعْمَالُهُمْ
a'maluhum
(are) their deeds
وَفِي
wafi
and in
النَّارِ
al-nari
the Fire
هُمْ
hum
they
خَالِدُونَ
khaliduna
(will) abide forever

Transliteration

maa kaana lilmushrikeena ai ya'muroo masaajidal laahi shaahideena 'alaaa anfusihim bilkufr; ulaaa'ika habitat a'maaluhum wa fin naari hum khaalidoon

Translation

It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

It is not right for the idolaters to attend or care for Allah’s places of worship, worshipping in them, or doing good actions in them, while confirming their disbelief through their displaying of polytheism and the like. Their actions are wasted because they do not have faith, and faith is the condition for actions being accepted. On the Day of Judgement, they will enter the fire of Hell, living in it eternally, unless they repent from idolatry before their death.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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