Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother, As Salaam Alaikum. Recently I received an email with a verse from the Quran. Can you translate this verse for me. It`s in chapter 11, surah 9 and verse 110. Now they are relating this aayat to the incident of September 11th since the twin towers had 110 floors (11-9-110). I dont know if what they said and what they translated is true or not but I know I can trust you to clearly explain the aayat and if this can be related to that incident. Jazak Allah Khair. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Aayah relating to September 11

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 110: The foundation of those who so build is never free from suspicion and shakiness in their hearts, until their hearts are cut to pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing Wise.

One cannot take an Aayah of the Glorious Quran, and interpret it specifically towards an incident that has happened in our times by determining its interpretation on a specified date or floors of the building! The Glorious Quran was revealed by Allah Subhanah as a Guidance for all mankind for all times; and it is not guidance to interpret or link an Aayah of the Quran as a prophecy to a specific incident of modern times by corresponding its Surah or Aayah number with the specific dates or the number of floors of a building!

If one reads the above Aayah of Surah Taubah in the context of the Surah, one will realize that Allah Subhanah is referring to a particular mosque built by the hypocrites in Medina.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 107-110:

107 And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity to disunite the believers, and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; but Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.

108 Never stand thou (O Mohamed) forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.

109 Which then is best? He that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? Or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? And it doth crumble to pieces with him into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong.

110 The foundation of those who so build is never free from suspicion and shakiness in their hearts until their hearts are cut to pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing Wise.

The scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the above verses of Surah Taubah were revealed in Medina in the 9^th year after Hijrah. At that time, there were two mosques in Al-Madinah: the mosque at Quba in the suburbs of the city, and the Prophet’s Mosque in the city itself. There was no need for a third mosque at that time, but the hypocrites invented an excuse to show that there was really a need, and subsequently they asked permission from the Messenger of Allah (saws) and he allowed them to build a third mosque in the suburbs. But the hypocrites, who had no faith in their hearts, used this mosque as a planning center of their conspiracies and plots against Islam, the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the believers. They also wanted to get this mosque inaugurated by the Prophet (saws) through beguile and deception, but Allah Subhanah forestalled them and informed the Prophet (saws) of the evil intentions of the hypocrites. Subsequently the Messenger of Allah (saws) ordered that the mosque be demolished after his return from the Battle of Tabuk.

Thus it is absolute misguidance to take out one Aayah just because of its number, and interpret it in a way that it fits an incident in modern times and link it to its specific dates and the number of floors of a building!

Some misguided people have tried to justify the attacks in New York by arbitrarily interpreting the Aayahs of the Quran; but the principles of Al Islam and guidance of the Quran and Sunnah is that one cannot indiscriminately harm civilians who are not in a state of war with the believers.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan