Surah Baqarah (114)
– Akmal Haider Falahi (Ph.D. Arabic, AMU)
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ وَسَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ ١١٤
“And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His masajid 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.” (2:114)
The polytheists of Makkah had deprived the Muslims of pilgrimage to the Masjid al-Haram and they were not allowed to go there despite being very close to it. In the year 6 AH, the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) traveled to Mecca with his Companions for the purpose of Umrah, but the polytheists did not allow him and his companions to enter Mecca. On this occasion, a peace agreement was reached and they had to return without performing Umrah. Then in the following year, 7AH, the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) performed Umrah with the Sahaabah. This verse mentions the same oppression of the polytheists of Makkah that they have prevented the believers from entering the Sacred Masjid. The status of the masjid in Muslim society is the same as the status of the heart in the human body, the presence of the Masjid, its minarets and domes is a sign that it is a Muslim settlement, the status of the Masjid is the center for Muslims. The Masjid is the house of Allah, it is the responsibility of the Muslims to protect the house of Allah more than their own house. If the Masajid are attacked by the infidels, then the Muslims should sacrifice their lives for its protection and defense. It had happened many times in history that the infidels have tried to seize the Masaajid and destroy them, but the Muslims have always recaptured these Masajid and re-established them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions were prevented from worshiping in the Kaaba. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) conquered Makkah in 9 AH and re-established the Ka’bah. Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi defeated the Crusaders in 1187 AD, liberated and rebuilt the Al-Aqsa Mosque. When Mustafa Kemal Ataturk turned the historic Istanbul Masjid “Aya Sofia” into a museum, Recep Tayyib Erdogan converted it back into a masjid, echoing it with azan and prayers. India’s famous masjid “Babri Masjid” was martyred by the infidels on December 6, 1992. If this masjid is a martyr then it is the responsibility of all Muslims to keep striving for its restoration. Even if it becomes a Ram temple, Muslims should not forget that there was a Masjid, there is a Masjid and the Masjid will remain so, God willing. In this verse, Allah Almighty mentions the attitude of the disbelievers towards the Masajid, and at the same time threatens them with a severe punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. The first attitude of the disbelievers towards the Masajid is that they prevent the Muslims from praying in the Masajid, the second is that they try to turn the Masajid into temples and the third is that they try to demolish masajid and destroy them. The Babri Masjid is a clear example of this that first the Masjid was locked and prayers were prevented from being offered in it, then the lock was opened and idol worship was allowed in the Masjid, and then finally the Masjid was demolished and martyred. But those who commit such a heinous crime cannot escape the grip of Allah, so Allah has called such disbelievers the greatest wrongdoers and has threatened that such people will be humiliated and disgraced in this world. There is a severe punishment for them in the Hereafter.
