۞ أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ ٱلْحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَجَـٰهَدَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَا يَسْتَوُۥنَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 19
Translations
Have you made the providing of water for the pilgrim and the maintenance of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām equal to [the deeds of] one who believes in Allāh and the Last Day and strives in the cause of Allāh? They are not equal in the sight of Allāh. And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Transliteration
Aja'altum siqayata al-hajji wa'imarata al-masjidi al-harami kamman amana billahi wa al-yawmi al-akhiri wa jahada fi sabilillah. La yastawun 'inda Allah. Wa Allah la yahdi al-qawma al-zalimin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rejects the false equivalence made by the Quraysh who believed that providing water to pilgrims (siqayah) and maintaining the Sacred Mosque were acts comparable to true faith in Allah and striving in His cause. The verse emphatically states these external works cannot equal sincere belief, righteous action, and jihad fi sabilillah, and that such people who make this false comparison will never be equal in Allah's sight. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this addresses the pre-Islamic pride of the Quraysh in their custodianship of the Kaaba, teaching that noble lineage and ritualistic duties without genuine faith hold no spiritual value.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Tawbah's condemnation of the hypocrites and those who claimed faith without substance, specifically addressing the Quraysh's false sense of spiritual superiority based on their role as guardians of the Sacred Mosque and providers of water to pilgrims. The broader context of the surah deals with those who made excuses for not participating in Tabuk expedition and those whose faith was incomplete or insincere.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of deeds is belief in Allah and His Messenger, and the worst of deeds is associating partners with Allah' (reported in various forms in Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari emphasizes that actions are judged by intentions, highlighting that external actions without sincere internal faith are worthless.
Themes
Key Lesson
True spiritual worth comes not from family status, ritual maintenance, or charitable acts done with proud hearts, but from sincere belief in Allah, accountability in the afterlife, and genuine struggle in Allah's cause. Muslims are reminded that external religious activities hold value only when rooted in authentic faith and righteous intention, and that no amount of worldly accomplishment can replace a sincere, believing heart.
Related Ayahs
فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ
So let not their wealth or their children impress you. Allāh only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.
قَـٰتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Fight them; Allāh will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts [i.e., desires] of a believing people
قُلْ إِن كَانَ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ وَأَزْوَٰجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلٌ ٱقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـٰرَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَآ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَجِهَادٍ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allāh and His Messenger and jihād [i.e., striving] in His cause, then wait until Allāh executes His command. And Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."
وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And those with excuses among the bedouins came to be permitted [to remain], and they who had lied to Allāh and His Messenger sat [at home]. There will strike those who disbelieved among them a painful punishment.