Surah Al-Baqarah 2:114
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 114 of 286
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ وَسَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
Translation
Who could be more wicked than those who prohibit the mention of God’s name in His places of worship and strive to have them deserted? Such people should not enter them without fear: there is disgrace for them in this world and painful punishment in the Hereafter.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This profound verse opens with a powerful rhetorical question: "وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ وَسَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ" (And who is more unjust than one who prevents the mosques of Allah from His Name being mentioned therein and strives for their destruction?). This is not a genuine question seeking an answer, but a statement of absolute certainty, meaning "no one is more unjust." Ibn Ashur explains this *istifham inkari* (rhetorical question for denial) emphasizes the unmatched severity of this particular wrongdoing. Allah Himself is speaking here, addressing those who obstruct His places of worship, primarily understood to be the polytheists (mushrikin) of Mecca who prevented the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the Muslims from the Ka'bah.
The Ultimate Injustice
The phrasing "no one is more unjust" sets an incredibly high bar for this sin. While polytheism (shirk) is also described as a tremendous injustice, the Quran highlights the immense wickedness of preventing people from worshipping Allah in His houses, making it an act of extraordinary wrongdoing. It is a profound assault on the very purpose of creation: the worship of the Creator.
More Than One Mosque
The use of the plural "مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ" (masajid Allah - mosques of Allah) is significant. Even though the immediate context often points to the prevention from the Ka'bah (Masjid al-Haram), scholars like Ibn Ashur suggest the plural serves to magnify the gravity of the offense, encompassing any of Allah's houses of worship. Al-Razi adds that even the Ka'bah itself can be considered "masajid" because it contains various places for prostration and worship. More broadly, the general term extends the divine warning to *anyone* who obstructs or vandalizes *any* mosque where Allah's Name is meant to be glorified.
Two Forms of Harm
The verse describes two types of transgressions: "مَنَعَ" (preventing) and "سَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ" (striving for their destruction). "Preventing" is direct, such as blocking physical access or discouraging prayer and remembrance. The word "سَعَىٰ" (sa'a - strove) is key. As Ibn Ashur explains, it goes beyond mere destruction; it implies active, intentional effort and plotting towards ruin. Destruction here isn't just physical demolition; al-Razi points out that preventing people from worshipping in a mosque is a form of "kharaab" (destruction) because it renders the building desolate of its spiritual purpose.
A Certain Future
The verse continues with a stark declaration: "أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ" (Those, it was not for them to enter them except in fear). The emphatic demonstrative pronoun "أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ" (those) points to the culprits, marking them as deserving of the consequences. "ما كانَ لَهُمْ" is not a past tense statement, but a powerful negation of what *should be* for them in the future. It's a divine promise that these oppressors would eventually only enter mosques in a state of fear and humiliation. This prophecy was fulfilled when the Muslims gained strength and conquered Mecca, as the once-powerful polytheists entered the Ka'bah in trepidation, fearing judgment.
Dual Consequences
The verse concludes with a two-part punishment: "لَهُمْ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِي ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ" (For them in the world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a mighty torment). "خِزْيٌ" (khizy - disgrace) refers to worldly humiliation, such as defeat, capture, or being subjugated, as experienced by the Meccan polytheists. The subsequent "عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ" (adhabun adhim - mighty torment) refers to the severe punishment awaiting them in the afterlife. The separation of the worldly disgrace from the hereafter's torment, as highlighted by Ibn Ashur, emphasizes the gravity of each consequence, signaling a comprehensive and inescapable justice for those who wage war against Allah's houses of worship.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn
Qur'anic Worlds
The verse begins with a profound question from Allah, "No one is more unjust than those who prevent the remembrance of Allah in His mosques and strive for their ruin?" (Surah 2:114). This is a direct, powerful declaration about the immense injustice of hindering the worship of God in places dedicated to Him. It carries a severe warning of consequences, both in this life and the next, for those who commit such an act.
When and to Whom it Spoke
This verse speaks to us by looking back at pivotal moments in the *World of Revelation* and the *Worlds of Past Nations*. Scholars offer two main understandings of who these "most unjust" people were.
One view, held by some early interpreters like Mujahid and Qatadah, traces the verse to the *Worlds of Past Nations*, specifically the historical events surrounding Baytul-Maqdis (Jerusalem). They mention how Christians (Romans), at different times, including during the campaigns of Nebuchadnezzar (Bukhtanaṣṣar) and in the aftermath of the killing of Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist), desecrated the holy site, even throwing refuse into it, and prevented the Israelites from worshipping there. This was seen as "ruining" the mosque by making it unusable for its sacred purpose.
Another significant interpretation, preferred by scholars like Ibn Kathir, connects the verse to the *World of Revelation* itself and the early Muslim community. This refers to the Meccan polytheists (mushrikūn) who barred Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Companions from entering the Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque, i.e., the Ka'bah) in Mecca. A prime example is the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, where Muslims were prevented from performing pilgrimage. Even though the Ka'bah itself was not demolished, preventing believers from using it for *dhikr* (remembrance of Allah) and *ṣalāh* (prayer) was considered "striving for its ruin" (سَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ). Sayyid Qutb highlights that this verse also serves as a general injunction against anyone who prevents people from Allah's mosques.
The Deeper Meaning of "Ruin"
The phrase "striving for its ruin" (سَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ) doesn't just mean physical destruction. As Mufti Shafi's `Ma'arif al-Quran` explains, a mosque is "laid waste" not only by demolition but also "when few, or only a few people should come there for offering their prayers." Its true vibrancy comes from being filled with people remembering Allah. Preventing access, disrupting worship, or allowing conditions where people cannot pray with humility and focus, all fall under the umbrella of "ruin."
A Warning and a Promise
The verse continues with a powerful statement: "Those should not enter them except in fear" (أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ). This was both a command and a prophecy. Ibn Kathir notes its fulfillment when the Prophet (peace be upon him) liberated Mecca. Polytheists were subsequently barred from the Sacred Mosque, or could only enter under terms like paying *jizyah* (a tax on non-Muslims) or in a state of apprehension. The historical events of the Muslim community's triumph over those who had oppressed them show a direct consequence in the *World of Revelation*.
Finally, the verse promises them "disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a mighty torment" (لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ). This earthly disgrace (khizyun) could manifest as humiliation, defeat, or the imposition of *jizyah*, as Qatadah mentioned. The ultimate, most severe consequence, however, awaits them in the Hereafter.
This verse ultimately teaches us the sanctity of Allah's houses of worship and the grave sin of obstructing His remembrance. It reminds us of Allah's protection of these places and the inevitable consequences, both worldly and otherworldly, for those who violate their sacred purpose.
Sources: Ma'arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi), Ibn Kathir, al-Baghawi (Maalim al-Tanzil), Sayyid Qutb (Fi Zilal al-Quran), al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:114 is discussed in 9 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:114 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.