Quran Universe
9:109

أَفَمَنۡ أَسَّسَ بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقۡوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٍ خَيۡرٌ أَم مَّنۡ أَسَّسَ بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٖ فَٱنۡهَارَ بِهِۦ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Afaman assasa bunyanahu AAala taqwa mina Allahi waridwanin khayrun am man assasa bunyanahu AAala shafa jurufin harin fainhara bihi fee nari jahannama waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alththalimeena

Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Word by word
  1. أَفَمَنۡThen is (one) who
  2. أَسَّسَfounded
  3. بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥhis building
  4. عَلَىٰon
  5. تَقۡوَىٰrighteousness
  6. مِنَfrom
  7. ٱللَّهِAllah
  8. وَرِضۡوَٰنٍand (His) pleasure
  9. خَيۡرٌbetter
  10. أَمor
  11. مَّنۡ(one) who
  12. أَسَّسَfounded
  13. بُنۡيَٰنَهُۥhis building
  14. عَلَىٰon
  15. شَفَاedge
  16. جُرُفٍ(of) a cliff
  17. هَارٖ(about to) collapse
  18. فَٱنۡهَارَso it collapsed
  19. بِهِۦwith him
  20. فِيin
  21. نَارِ(the) Fire
  22. جَهَنَّمَۗ(of) Hell
  23. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  24. لَا(does) not
  25. يَهۡدِيguide
  26. ٱلۡقَوۡمَthe wrongdoing people
  27. ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَthe wrongdoing people
At-Tawbah · 9:109Madinah

Built on taqwa, or on the edge of a crumbling bank.

What your life is resting on

Two foundations
on taqwaand His pleasure
on a cliff edgeabout to give way
which
collapseswith the builder in it
What holds the building
what it looks likewalls, a roof
what it stands onthe ground beneath

Ibn Kathir explains that a masjid built on taqwa and Allah's pleasure is not the same as one built to harm and divide. The second was built on the edge of a steep hole that gives way. Jabir said he saw smoke rising from the harmful mosque in the Prophet's ﷺ time.

A career built on cutting corners. A friendship built on gossip about others. A marriage built on keeping up appearances. They can stand for years. Then one day the ground under them gives way. The verse asks what you are building on.

If it is standing, it must be built well.

What lasts is what rests on taqwa, not what looks solid now.

Try this

Pick one thing you are building, a habit, a plan, a relationship. Check its foundation.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Is it then he who laid the foundation of his building on Taqwa to Allah and His good pleasure better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on the brink of an undetermined precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the fire of Hell. And Allah guides not the people who are the wrongdoers (109)The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of hypocrisy and doubt in their hearts unless their hearts are cut to pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise (110)

The Difference between Masjid At-Taqwa and Masjid Ad-Dirar

Allah the Exalted says that the Masjid that has been built on the basis of Taqwa of Allah and His pleasure is not the same as a Masjid that was been built based on causing harm, disbelief and causing division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. The latter built their Masjid on the edge of a steep hole,

فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

(into the fire of Hell. And Allah guides not the people who are the wrongdoers.),

Allah does not bring aright the works of those who commit mischief. Jabir bin 'Abdullah said, "I saw the Masjid that was built to cause harm with smoke rising up from it, during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Allah's statement,

لَا يَزَالُ بُنْيَانُهُمُ الَّذِي بَنَوْا رِيبَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

(The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of doubt in their hearts) and hypocrisy. Because of this awful action that they committed, they inherited hypocrisy in their hearts, just as those who worshipped the calf were inclined to adoring it. Allah said next,

إِلَّا أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(unless their hearts are cut to pieces.) until they die, according to Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Zayd bin Aslam, As-Suddi, Habib bin Abi Thabit, Ad-Dahhak, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and several other scholars of the Salaf.

وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Knowing,) of the actions of His creation,

حَكِيمٌ

(All-Wise.) in compensating them for their good or evil actions.