AT TAUBAH — Ayat 19

Tafsir Ibnu Katsir

أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَجَـهَدَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَسْتَوُونَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ - الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَـهَدُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ - يُبَشِّرُهُمْ رَبُّهُم بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَرِضْوَنٍ وَجَنَّـتٍ لَّهُمْ فِيهَا نَعِيمٌ مُّقِيمٌ - خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداً إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

19. Do you consider the providing of drinking water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of Al-Masjid Al-Haram as equal to the worth of those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah They are not equal before Allah. And Allah guides not those people who are the wrongdoers. 20. Those who believed and emigrated and strove hard and fought in Allah's cause with their wealth and their lives, are far higher in degree with Allah. They are the successful. 21. Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Him, and His being pleased (with them), and of Gardens (Paradise) for them wherein are everlasting delights. 22. They will dwell therein forever. Verily, with Allah is a great reward. In his Tafsir, Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas explained this Ayah: ”The idolators said, `Maintaining Al-Masjid Al-Haram and providing water for pilgrims are better than embracing the faith and performing Jihad.' They used to boast and show off among the people because they claimed, they were the people and maintainers of Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Allah mentioned their arrogance and rejection (of the faith), saying to `the people of Al-Haram', who were idolators,