فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ ﴿۳۶﴾ رِجَالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ ﴿۳۷﴾

﴾36﴿ Fee buyootin azinal laahu an turfa'a wa yuzkara feehasmuhoo yusabbihu lahoo feehaa bilghuduwwi wal aasaal
﴾37﴿ Rijaalul laa tulheehim tijaaratunw wa laa bai'un 'an zikril laahi wa iqaamis Salaati wa eetaaa'iz Zakaati yakhaafoona Yawman tataqallabu feehil quloobu wal absaar

﴾36﴿ In houses which Allah has permitted to be raised and in which His name is remembered, He is glorified therein morning and evening
﴾37﴿ Men whom neither trade nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah, the establishment of prayer, and the giving of Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned in anxiety

[36] This verse is connected to the previous one—both in terms of the parable (the example) and what it represents (the reality behind it).
The connection to the parable is that the niche (mishkāt), which contains the glass, and within it the lamp, is found in mosques.
This implies encouragement, showing that illuminating and maintaining mosques brings reward and merit.
The connection to the reality behind the parable is that the call to tawḥīd (divine oneness) and faith takes place in mosques, centers of monotheism, religious schools, and places of invitation and preaching.
Note: This verse outlines the etiquettes of mosques and religious centers.
First etiquette: (أَنْ تُرْفَعَ)—The meaning here is to honor and respect the mosque in the ways mentioned in the prophetic traditions.
Some of these are: keeping the mosque clean, using pleasant fragrance, avoiding loud voices, not announcing lost items, not announcing the dead, avoiding trade and industry inside, entering with the right foot first and reciting the prescribed duʿā, and exiting with the left foot first and reciting the appropriate remembrance.
Observing these etiquettes is essential.
(وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ)—This includes the recitation of the Qur’an, teaching of hadith, religious sciences, daʿwah, and sharʿī forms of remembrance (dhikr).
This phrase is mentioned after turfāʿ (being raised/highly regarded), to show that the core of honoring the mosques lies in the remembrance of Allah’s name.
(يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ)—While the previous etiquette refers specifically to the mosque, tasbīḥ refers generally to the actions of any believer and monotheist.
These are the ones who truly maintain the mosques.
Tasbīḥ here includes offering prayer, reciting the words of tawḥīd, calling others to Allah, and engaging in remembrance with the tongue and heart.
[37] In this verse, six qualities of the people of light (those who invite to the light) are mentioned:
1. (رِجَالٌ) – This refers to the perfection of manhood; in other words, they are courageous and steadfast.
The word “men” is specified because true commitment in mosques, prayer, and glorification is the quality of real men.
As for women, their prayer at home—especially in a private room—brings them complete reward.
2. (لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ) – They engage in lawful worldly earning, and the best type of earning is through trade; hence, it is specifically mentioned.
However, despite being engaged in trade, they are never distracted from the religion of Allah.
They act upon verse 9 of Sūrah al-Munāfiqūn: “Let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.”
3. (عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ) – They remember Allah by obeying Him through their actions.
4. (وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ) – They are committed to establishing prayer regularly and properly.
5. (وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ) – They fulfill the obligation of giving zakāh.
6. (يَخَافُونَ) – They fear the reckoning and all the events of the Day of Judgment.
Such fear of the Hereafter is also mentioned in Ḥā Mīm al-Mu’min (40:18) and Sūrah Ibrāhīm (14:42).