أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Important Words:
جرف (water-worn bank) is derived from جرف. They say جرف الشیء i.e. he carried away or removed the whole or greater part of the thing. The Arabs say جرفه الدھر i.e. time (fortune) destroyed his wealth and reduced him to poverty. جرف means, a bank of a valley, the lower part of which is excavated by water and hollowed out by torrents so that it remains unsound or weak with its upper part overhanging; an abrupt water-worn bank or ridge; the side of the bank of a river that has been eaten by the water so that parts of it continually fall down (Lane & Aqrab).
ھار (tottering) is the active participle from ھار which is both transitive and intransitive and means, he demolished, or pulled down or pulled to pieces, a building; or it (building) fell to pieces or broke down and collapsed. ھار which is originally ھاری therefore, means, falling or tumbling down; or cracking without falling; or cracking in its hinder part, remaining yet in its place; tottering to fall (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse most vividly contrasts the two buildings, "the Mosque of the Prophet" and the "Harmful Mosque." Whereas the former is founded on the firm bed-rock of piety and of God’s own pleasure, the other rests on the water-worn tottering bank of hypocrisy and disbelief.