سورة البقرة

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The revelation of this verse was at the time when Quraysh prevented the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) from entering Makkah.

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): Allah raised Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) as a Prophet in Makkah, and through him made His call manifest and spread His word, and He rebuked their leaders for their worship of idols. In return, they took him to task, considered association with him detestable, and strove to destroy the masjids which a group of the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the Shia of Ali (peace be upon him) had built there. At that time, near the Ka'bah, there were masjids which the people of falsehood had ruined and these believers had revived. So these polytheists strove once more to demolish those masjids and to harm Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions. They forced him to leave Makkah for Madinah. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), [at the time of migration], while looking back at Makkah from behind, said: "[O Makkah,] Allah knows that I love you; if your people had not driven me out from you, I would not have preferred any land over you, nor would I have chosen any substitute for you, and I am grieved at parting from you." Then Allah revealed to him: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Allah, the Most High, the Most Exalted, sends you His greeting and says: 'I shall return you to this city victorious, benefited, safe, and mighty.'"

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Lord's meaning [by 'masjids' in this verse] is the whole of the earth, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) who said: "The earth has been made a masjid for me, and its dust is pure and clean."

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Their striving was in the destruction of the masjids of the chosen believers in Makkah, when the polytheists prevented them from worshipping in them and forced the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to leave Makkah; they were striving to destroy those masjids, and the meaning of destroying the masjid is that they did not allow anyone to stand in it in obedience [and worship] of Allah.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): [The ones referred to in this verse are the Romans.] The Romans launched a military campaign against Bayt al-Muqaddas and strove to ruin it (the masjid). Matters continued this way until the time of Umar, when Allah granted the Muslims victory over them; and they became such that they would enter Bayt al-Muqaddas only in fear and dread.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Whenever they wish to enter the precincts of those masjids within the Haram, they fear that the punishment and the enforced decree of Allah, which is carried out upon the disbelievers with the sword and the whip, may also be carried out upon them.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah promised the Muslims victory and the deliverance of the masjids from their (the polytheists') hands, and He fulfilled His promise to the believers of that time with the conquest of Makkah, and He will fulfil this promise of His to the generality of the people at the time of the appearance of al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief).

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah disgraces and humiliates these polytheists in this world [in this way]: that He drives them (the polytheists) out of the Haram and does not permit them to return to it.