The Quran

108

لا تَقُم فيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَمَسجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقوىٰ مِن أَوَّلِ يَومٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقومَ فيهِ ۚ فيهِ رِجالٌ يُحِبّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّروا ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ المُطَّهِّرينَ

Muhammad Asad

Never set foot in such a place!¹ Only a house of worship founded, from the very first day, upon God-consciousness is worthy of thy setting foot therein² - [a house of worship] wherein there are men desirous of growing in purity: for God loves all who purify themselves.

Lit., "in it" - sc., "to pray therein".
Lit., "Indeed, a house of worship founded ... upon God-consciousness (taqwa) is most deserving...", etc. Some of the commentators believe that this is a reference to the mosque founded by the Prophet at Quba', a village close to Medina, on his arrival there in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 1 H., since it was the first mosque ever built by him or his followers. There are, however, authentic Traditions to the effect that the Prophet applied the designation of "a house of worship founded on God-consciousness" to his (later-built) mosque at Medina as well (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Hanbal). It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that it applies to every mosque sincerely dedicated by its founders, to the worship of God: a view which is supported by the next verse.