َ وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعْنَا الْهُدَى آمَنَّا بِهِ فَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِرَبِّهِ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخْسًا وَلَا رَهَقًا ﴿۱۳﴾ وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا ﴿۱۴﴾ وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا ﴿۱۵﴾ وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا ﴿۱۶﴾ لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَمَنْ يُعْرِضْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ يَسْلُكْهُ عَذَابًا صَعَدًا ﴿۱۷﴾ وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا ﴿۱۸﴾

﴾13﴿ Wa annaa lammaa sami'nal hudaaa aamannaa bihee famany yu'min bi rabbihee falaa yakhaafu bakhsanw wa laa rahaqa
﴾14﴿ Wa annaa minnal muslimoona wa minnal qaasitoona faman aslama fa ulaaa'ika taharraw rashada
﴾15﴿ Wa ammal qaasitoona fa kaanoo li jahannama hataba
﴾16﴿ Wa alla wis taqaamoo 'alat tareeqati la asqaynaahum maa'an ghadaqa
﴾17﴿ Linaftinahum feeh; wa many yu'rid 'an zikri rabbihee yasluk hu 'azaaban sa'ada
﴾18﴿ Wa annal masaajida lil laahi falaa tad'oo ma'al laahi 'ahada

﴾13﴿ And indeed, when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. So whoever believes in his Lord will neither fear deprivation nor injustice
﴾14﴿ And indeed, some of us are Muslims and some of us are deviants. So, whoever accepted Islam, they have found the right path (guidance)
﴾15﴿ And those who go astray, they are the firewood of Hell
﴾16﴿ And it was revealed that if these people were to walk the straight path, We would surely provide them with abundant water
﴾17﴿ That We may test them thereby. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will cause him to enter a severe punishment
﴾18﴿ And this is the revelation: Indeed, the places of prostration belong exclusively to Allah, so do not call upon anyone else alongside Allah (as a helper)

[13] From this, it becomes clear that the previous verses described their condition before hearing the Qur’an, and this verse now describes their state after hearing it.
(Al-hudā) – What is meant by hudā here is the Qur’an itself, as indicated by verse 2.
[14,15] This verse describes the division among them after the revelation of the Qur’an.
(Question): In verse 11, it was mentioned that there are many groups, but here only two are mentioned? (Answer): This is similar to Sūrah al-Ḥajj (22:19), where all groups are ultimately summarized into two categories.
(Al-qāsiṭūn) – According to Lisān al-‘Arab, its root is qasṭ (with a sukoon), which means injustice and oppression, and it is used in its basic form. Qāsiṭūn means jā’irūn (wrongdoers). In contrast, qisṭ (with a kasrah) means justice, and both aqsaṭa and qasṭa are used with that meaning.
(Li-jahannama ḥaṭaban) – (Question): Since jinn are created from fire, how can they be punished with fire? (Answer): Although their origin is from fire, Allah has given them physical forms upon which fire can have an effect—just like humans are created from clay, yet if struck with clay, they feel pain.
Thus, this verse includes both glad tidings (for the guided) and warning (for the unjust).
[16,17] This is the second revelation and the direct speech of Allah the Exalted, as indicated by the phrase la-asqaynāhum (in the first-person plural).
There are two interpretations among the commentators regarding this verse: First Opinion: The word ṭarīqah refers to the path of guidance, monotheism, and faith.
(Mā’an ghadaqan) means abundant provision, similar to what is mentioned in Sūrah Nūḥ (71:11–12), Sūrah al-Mā’idah (5:66), and Sūrah al-A‘rāf (7:96).
(Li-naftinahum) means a test or trial through worldly blessings. According to this view, the verse gives glad tidings of worldly benefits.
(Wa man yu‘riḍ) is both a worldly and otherworldly warning.
Second Opinion: Ṭarīqah refers to the path of misguidance, and la-asqaynāhum is taken to mean istidrāj (gradual entrapment through blessings), as mentioned in Sūrah al-An‘ām (6:44).
Li-naftinahum then means a trial in the form of punishment.
(‘Adhāban ṣa‘adan) would be a warning about punishment in the hereafter.
However, Qurtubī states that the first opinion is closer to the truth, because the term istiqāmah (steadfastness) is normally used for remaining firm upon guidance.
[18] (Al-masājid) – This word includes:
1. Physical mosques,
2. The body parts used in prostration,
3. All places where prostration occurs in general.
These interpretations are reported by the commentators. It also includes three specific mosques: Masjid al-Ḥarām, Masjid al-Nabawī, and Masjid al-Aqṣā.
(Lillāh) – This attribution to Allah is for honor and exaltation, because ownership in the sense of private possession does not apply here. Mosques are endowed for the sake of Allah alone, and used solely for His remembrance. That is why the mosque is called the “House of Allah.”
(Fa-lā tad‘ū ma‘a Allāhi aḥadan) – Ibn Kathīr says this is a refutation of the Jews and Christians who commit shirk in their places of worship. It also refutes shirk in supplication (shirk fī al-du‘ā’). The command here is general, though it uses a specific example, meaning:
In a mosque, bowing, prostrating, invoking anyone besides Allah, or glorifying other than Allah—all of these are prohibited.
This prohibition is general, but the mention of mosques adds emphasis due to the greater severity (qabāḥat mazīd).
Unfortunately, in today’s time, many ignorant people have begun acts of shirk in mosques:
—Some perform prayers for saints in mosques,
—Some recite invocations like “Yā Rasūl Allāh” or “Yā Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir, shay’an lillāh” inside mosques,
—Some write phrases like “Yā Muḥammad” or “Yā Ghawth al-A‘ẓam” on the mihrāb or walls of the mosque.
All of these are acts of shirk and clearly contradict this verse.
Qurṭubī also mentioned that this verse implies: do not trade in the mosque, do not raise your voice to seek lost items, and do not hold worldly gatherings in it.
Yes, it is permissible to: —Teach religious books in the mosque, —Settle legal disputes, —Detain captives, —Recite religious poetry, —All based on the hadiths that permit these actions.