Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah At-Taubah -> Believers are the True Maintainers of the Masjids

Allah said,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظڈط±ظڈ ظ…ظژط³ظژظ€ط¬ظگط¯ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط®ظگط±ظگ﴾

(The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.) Therefore, Allah testifies to the faith of those who maintain the Masjids. `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that `Amr bin Maymun Al-Awdi said, "I met the Companions of the Prophet and they were saying, `The Masjids are the Houses of Allah on the earth. It is a promise from Allah that He is generous to those who visit Him in the Masjids.,'' Allah said next,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ‚ظژط§ظ…ظژ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژظ„ظژظˆط©ظژ﴾

(perform the Salah), one of the major acts of worship practiced by the body,

﴿ظˆظژط،ظژط§طھظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ط²ظ‘ظژظƒظژظˆط©ظژ﴾

(and give the Zakah), which is the best act that benefits other people,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط®ظ’ط´ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ﴾

(and fear none but Allah), they fear only Allah, the Exalted, and none else,

﴿ظپظژط¹ظژط³ظژظ‰ ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(It is they who are on true guidance.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظڈط±ظڈ ظ…ظژط³ظژظ€ط¬ظگط¯ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط®ظگط±ظگ﴾

(The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day;) "He who singles out Allah (in worship), has faith in the Last Day.'' ﴿And he said﴾; "He who believes in what Allah has revealed,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ‚ظژط§ظ…ظژ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژظ„ظژظˆط©ظژ﴾

(perform the Salah), establishes the five daily prayers,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط®ظ’ط´ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ﴾

(and fear none but Allah.), worships Allah alone,

﴿ظپظژط¹ظژط³ظژظ‰ ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(it may be they who are on true guidance.) Allah says, `It is they who are the successful ones in truth.' Similarly, Allah said to His Prophet ,

﴿ط¹ظژط³ظژظ‰ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژط¨ظ’ط¹ظژط«ظژظƒظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظƒظژ ظ…ظژظ‚ظژط§ظ…ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظڈظˆط¯ظ‹ط§﴾

(It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud)﴿17:79﴾. Allah says here, `Your Lord (O Muhammad) shall grant you a station of praise, that is, the intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).' Every `might' in the Qur'an means `shall'.''

﴿ط£ظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط³ظگظ‚ظژط§ظٹظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژط§ط¬ظ‘ظگ ظˆظژط¹ظگظ…ظژط§ط±ظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط³ظ’ط¬ظگط¯ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژط±ظژط§ظ…ظگ ظƒظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط®ظگط±ظگ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ€ظ‡ظژط¯ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط³ظژط¨ظگظٹظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژظˆظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ‡ظ’ط¯ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ط§ظ„ط¸ظ‘ظژظ€ظ„ظگظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژظ‡ظژط§ط¬ظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ€ظ‡ظژط¯ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط³ظژط¨ظگظٹظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¨ظگط£ظژظ…ظ’ظˆظژظ„ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ط¸ظژظ…ظڈ ط¯ظژط±ظژط¬ظژط©ظ‹ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظپظژط§ط¦ظگط²ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظٹظڈط¨ظژط´ظ‘ظگط±ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگط±ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژط©ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط±ظگط¶ظ’ظˆظژظ†ظچ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ€طھظچ ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ظ†ظژط¹ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظڈظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظŒ - ط®ظژظ€ظ„ظگط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط¢ ط£ظژط¨ظژط¯ط§ظ‹ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ط£ظژط¬ظ’ط±ظŒ ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ﴾

(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.)