“And why should Allah not punish them when they bar people from the Sacred Mosque, though they are not its rightful guardians? Its guardians are only the God-fearing, but most of them do not know.”

“And why should Allah not punish them”—that is, what could shield them from Allah’s punishment when they have done what warrants it: barring people from the Sacred Mosque, particularly barring the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions, who have a greater right to it than they do? Hence He said, “though they”—the polytheists—“are not its rightful guardians.” The pronoun may refer to Allah, meaning that they are not allies of Allah; or it may refer to the Sacred Mosque, meaning that they have no greater right to it than others. “Its guardians are only the God-fearing”: those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, worship Allah alone in affirmation of His oneness, and devote their religion sincerely to Him. “But most of them do not know,” and so they claimed for themselves something to which others had a greater right.