Tafsir of Ayah 36 of Surah Al-Nur

Q 3: What is the Tafsir (explanation/exegesis) of Allah’s saying (the meanings of which are translated as): In houses (mosques) which Allâh has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is remembered [i.e. Adhan, Iqamah, Salât (prayers), invocations, recitation of the Qur’ân etc.]. Therein glorify Him (Allah) in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings, ?

A: The word "houses" in this Ayah (Qur’anic verse) means Masjids (mosques) and the prepositional phrase "in houses" is related to Allah’s saying in the previous Ayah: ...lit , or describe the word "lamp". Thus, the meaning is: Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The likeness of His Light is as if there were a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in a pure crystal glass, lit by an olive oil tree in the Masjids which Allah has ordered people to build, honor, and protect from idle talk, false speech, loud voices, and all that does not befit its stature. Then, Allah (Exalted be He) orders people to mention His Name in these Masjids by heart and tongue, reciting the Adhkar (invocations and remembrances said at certain times on a regular basis) authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), unlike those who follow some Tariqahs (Sufi orders) and repeat invented forms of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) whose phrases and way of reciting are of their own creation. (Part No. 4; Page No. 343) In these Masjids, Muslims glorify Allah, pray, acquire religious knowledge, recite the Qur’an, and say all the Adhkar prescribed by Islam in the morning and the evening, at any time of day, whether early in the morning or late at night. Those are the Muslims who made a just estimate of Allah, such as is due to Him, so they are not diverted by worldly matters such as trade or sale from remaining mindful of Allah and remembering Him with their hearts, tongues, and the physical action of their bodies. They fear Allah (Exalted be He), keep a constant watch over the consequences of their deeds, and dread the horrors of the Day of Resurrection; the Day when hearts and eyes will fearfully turn about; when every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant woman will drop her pregnancy, and when you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but the Torment of Allah is severe. Later in the Ayahs, Allah (Exalted be He) mentions that He will reward such people according to the best of their deeds; they shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning, out of His Grace, as an appropriate recompense for their sincerity and for selling themselves only to their Lord, the Bestower of Graces, and the Owner of Great Bounty.