(36–38) “In houses which Allah has ordained to be raised and His name mentioned therein. Therein they glorify Him morning and evening.”

That is, Allah is worshipped “in houses” that are exalted and virtuous—the places dearest to Him—namely, the mosques. “Allah has ordained,” meaning that He has commanded and enjoined, “that they be raised and His name mentioned therein.” These two matters encompass all the rulings governing mosques. Raising them includes constructing and sweeping them; cleansing them of impurity and anything harmful; keeping out the insane, children who do not guard against impurity, and disbelievers; and preserving them from idle talk and from voices being raised for anything other than the remembrance of Allah.

“His name mentioned therein” includes all prayer, both obligatory and voluntary; reciting the Quran; glorifying Allah and declaring His oneness; and all other forms of remembrance. It also includes learning and teaching sacred knowledge, discussing it together, observing spiritual retreat, and other acts of worship performed in mosques. Maintaining mosques therefore takes two forms: maintaining and preserving their structures, and maintaining them through the remembrance of Allah’s name by prayer and other acts. The latter is the nobler of the two. For this reason, the five daily prayers and Friday prayer were prescribed to be performed in mosques—obligatory according to most scholars and recommended according to others.

Allah then praised those who maintain them through worship, saying: “They glorify Him” with sincere devotion, “morning,” at the beginning of the day, “and evening,” at its end.