"And who is more unjust than the one who prevents
the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strives for their
ruin?" —
Qur'an 2:114
In our
time, one of the most painful realities confronting the Muslim world is
division within our sacred spaces. The mosque, meant to be a sanctuary for
remembering God, has become a battleground of sectarian identity and exclusion.
When we reflect on the Qur'an, it becomes clear that God does not endorse such
exclusion in His houses of worship.
The
Qur'anic Warning Against Exclusion
Allah says
in Surah al-Baqarah:
"And who is more unjust than one who prevents the
name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strives toward their
ruin? It is not for such people to enter them except in fear. For them is
disgrace in this world, and a great punishment in the Hereafter." (Qur'an 2:114)
While this
verse originally referred to the Quraysh obstructing worship, its principle is
universal: the greatest injustice is hindering others from drawing near to God.
Today, this injustice is replicated when Muslims ban fellow Muslims from
mosques due to sectarian differences. When seekers of God are turned away, both
the individual and the mosque itself are spiritually harmed.
Divine
Protection of All Houses of Worship
The Qur'an
reveals God's universal concern for sacred spaces:
"Those who were turned out of their houses
without any justification only because they say: 'God is our Lord.' [This
permission has been granted because] if God did not continue to drive away
people through one another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which
the name of God is abundantly taken, all would have been destroyed." (Qur'an 22:40)
God
declares His protection over all genuine houses of worship—monasteries,
churches, synagogues, and mosques—because they serve the same purpose:
remembering God. If God protects the sacred spaces of other faiths
where His name is celebrated, how much greater is the injustice when Muslims
exclude fellow Muslims from mosques?
What makes
a place sacred is sincere devotion to God, not sectarian ownership.
When
Mosques Become Sources of Division
The Qur'an
provides a stark warning about places of worship that become instruments of
division. In Chapter 9, Allah commanded the Prophet to deal with a mosque built
by hypocrites:
"And those who have built a mosque to harm Islam
and strengthen disbelief and cause a rift between the believers... Never stand
in it [O Prophet!] Only that mosque is worthy that you stand in it [for
worship] whose foundation from the first day was based on
God-consciousness."
(Qur'an 9:107-108)
This was
Masjid al-Dirar (Mosque of Harm), built not for worship but to create division
among Muslims. The divine response was uncompromising: demolition. When a
mosque becomes a source of sectarian division and excludes sincere believers,
it loses its sacred character and serves division rather than God's purpose.
This
precedent establishes that the State has not only the right but the
religious obligation to intervene when mosques become instruments of
sectarian division. Contemporary authorities should take decisive action
against religious spaces that promote exclusion among Muslims.
The
Qur'an's Call to Unity
The Qur'an
repeatedly warns against religious division:
"Indeed, those who have divided their religion
and become sects — you are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair
is only with Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do." (Qur'an 6:159)
"Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together
and do not become divided."
(Qur'an 3:103)
"And do not be like those who became divided and
differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And for them is a great
punishment."
(Qur'an 3:105)
These are
divine warnings (reminders). When division invades worship and turns mosques into symbols
of exclusion, it violates divine guidance and may warrant the same decisive
action taken against the Mosque of Harm.
Driving
People Away from God
Exclusionary
behavior often pushes youth and spiritually reflective individuals away from
religion entirely. This contradicts the Qur'an's teaching:
"So remind, [O Prophet]; you are only a reminder.
You are not a controller over them." (Qur'an 88:21-22)
"There shall be no compulsion in religion. The
right course has become clear from the wrong." (Qur'an 2:256)
When
believers act as gatekeepers, determining who is "worthy" to worship,
they assume a role of ‘playing God’, not even given to the Prophet.
Toward
Unity
God's
mercy is wide; His houses should reflect that mercy. The Prophet welcomed Jews,
Christians, and pagans into the mosque for dialogue. How can believers turn
fellow Muslims away?
If God
protects the sacred spaces of other faiths where His name is celebrated, how
can we justify excluding fellow Muslims from our mosques?
Conclusion
The Qur'an
protects all houses where the Divine Name is celebrated because what makes them
sacred is sincere devotion, not sectarian ownership. Yet the same Qur'an
commands demolition when sacred spaces become sources of division.
"And who is more unjust than the one who prevents
the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strives toward their
ruin?"
(Qur'an 2:114)
The choice
is before us: Will our mosques be guardians of divine unity, or gatekeepers of
sectarian division?
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