Quran Universe
9:110

لَا يَزَالُ بُنۡيَٰنُهُمُ ٱلَّذِي بَنَوۡاْ رِيبَةٗ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِلَّآ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

La yazalu bunyanuhumu allathee banaw reebatan fee quloobihim illa an taqattaAAa quloobuhum waAllahu AAaleemun hakeemun

Their building which they built will not cease to be a [cause of] skepticism in their hearts until their hearts are stopped. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Word by word
  1. لَاNot
  2. يَزَالُ(will) cease
  3. بُنۡيَٰنُهُمُtheir building
  4. ٱلَّذِيwhich
  5. بَنَوۡاْthey built
  6. رِيبَةٗa (cause of) doubt
  7. فِيin
  8. قُلُوبِهِمۡtheir hearts
  9. إِلَّآexcept
  10. أَنthat
  11. تَقَطَّعَ(are) cut into pieces
  12. قُلُوبُهُمۡۗtheir hearts
  13. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  14. عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knower
  15. حَكِيمٌAll-Wise
At-Tawbah · 9:110Madinah

What they built kept doubt alive inside them.

How a wrong project stays in the heart

What remained
the buildingtorn down
but left
doubtin their hearts
until
the endhearts cut off by death
Where the harm lives
outsideit was only bricks
insidethe doubt they inherited

Ibn Kathir says that because of this awful act, they inherited hypocrisy in their hearts, the way calf worshippers stayed attached to the calf. Many early scholars said until their hearts are cut means until they die. Allah knows and is wise in repaying every deed.

Maybe you once helped start a rumor about someone. It is long over, everyone has moved on. But you still feel uneasy around that person, still defensive when it comes up. What we build against others can keep living in us. Turning back sooner is a mercy.

Once it is over and done, it no longer affects me.

A wrong I built can stay in my heart until I sincerely undo it.

Try this

Undo one old wrong quietly today: a kind word, an apology, a correction.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:109)

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.