What does this Ayah mean?

 Dear brother, Allah says:

(( And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem).))

[Al-Baqarah, 143]

  What does this Ayah mean?
 First: “would never make your faith to be lost”, this is the most eloquent negation tense in Arabic language, it is a negation of entirely the whole matter, or as the prevalent expression that goes as follows: It is impossible to sacrifice anything for the sake of your faith and not to be rewarded abundantly for it.
 Your faith sometimes prevents you from earning ill-gotten money which minimizes your income as a result, and on the other hand, a person who doesn’t consider Halal (legitimacy) or Haram (illegitimacy) in earning money will have a huge income, so in this case, what have you done because of your faith? Apparently, you have wasted a huge income because you are a believer, whereas the other person and the like of him have no limitations in their lives, for they enjoy themselves, eat whatever they yearn for and meet whoever they like without any restrictions, moreover they don’t have any values or principles.
 Seemingly, those are enjoying their lives and live as they wish, whereas the believer abides by limits and distinguishes between the Halal, the Haram, the impermissible and the suspicious income in case usury is involved.
Hence dear brother the believer has to pay a price (a loss) for the sake of his faith in this worldly life.
 Whosoever loves his safety in the hereafter will harm his worldly life (by offering sacrifices), and whosoever harms his worldly life surely loves the hereafter.
 Namely, there must be a price to be paid, so don’t assume that you can enjoy the worldly life, like anyone else who does, and still guarantee the highest levels in paradise, absolutely not, for there should be a price to be paid for paradise, and the loss that is paid (for the sake of one’s faith) in the worldly life is never ever be wasted. It is a thousand times impossible to lose after obeying Allah, and it is impossible to win after disobeying Him, and faith is all what counts.

Wrong assumption about the conception of Islam:

 And they say:

(( And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land."))

[Al-Qasas, 57]

 Most people dread the religion for it is burdensome. It is impossible that those, who live freely, don’t abide by any limitations, have no direction in life, have no color or taste, avoid religious sessions, avoid learning whatever is offered in these sessions for their own favor and who stay away from the religion for their own interests, are put on equal footing with those who pay the price for the sake of their faith.
 Dear brother, we should understand the divine justice deeply:

(( And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land."))

[Al-Qasas, 57]

 What do some people say nowadays? They say: if you were afraid of Allah and you didn’t invest your money in a bank (because you want to avoid usury money), thieves will break into your house and kill you (in order to steal your money that you kept in your house instead of the bank), so what would you say about that? Is it possible that Allah treats His believers like this? Is it acceptable that Allah forbids something and threatens those who violate His law by a war from Allah the Almighty, and if they were afraid from Him and abide by His law, they will be killed and their money will be stolen? Unfortunately, this is the way common people understood this religion, for according to them, your interest should top everything else, but the true believer sees that obeying Allah tops everything else:

(( And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land."))

[Al-Qasas, 57]

(( And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem).))

[Al-Baqarah, 143]

Is the following rational?

 If a young man has chosen an honest lawful job with a low income, and another one has chosen an unlawful job with a huge income in order to enjoy life, buy houses and ride luxury cars while looking down on the young pious man who obeys Allah, do you think Allah will be pleased to grant the one who disobeyed Him the highest level in paradise and gives the lowest level to the one who obeyed Him? The answer is in the following Ayah:

((And the (blessed) end is for the Muttaqun (pious)))

[Al-A’raf, 128]

(( Is he whom We have promised an excellent promise (Paradise), which he will find true, like him whom We have made to enjoy the luxuries of the life of (this) world, then on the Day of Resurrection, he will be among those brought up (to be punished in the Hell-fire)?))

[Al-Qasas, 61]

The law-giver is a guarantor:

 Dear brother, we are in dire need for faith, and verify everything is in the hands of Allah:

(( It is He (Allah) Who is the only Ilah (God to be worshipped) in the heaven and the only Ilah (God to be worshipped) on the earth.))

[Az-Zukhruf, 84]

(( And to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him (O Muhammad) and put your trust in Him.))

[Hud, 123]

 In concise inclusive words I would say: the law-giver is a guarantor. Hence when Allah the Almighty orders you to obey Him, He will grant you safety and happiness in return.
 Sometimes safety is not so clear to the naked eye, especially when threats surround the believers like what is taking place nowadays, for the entire world is against Muslims, and the Muslim is accused of terrorism in any place in the world, and the Muslims are subjects of killing, fighting and genocides, however, and despite all that, people are embracing Islam in huge numbers, and Islam is the number one religion in spreading in the world though it is fought everywhere.
 He who has a deep belief, abides by the Islamic laws and is straight on Allah’s path should not be put on equal footing with the one who is careless about divine orders, prohibitions, promises and menaces thinking that he is in prosperity in life because he is brilliant and successful.

 The prophet PBUH said:
 Narrated Abu Huriara that the prophet PBUH said:

((Faith restrains killing, and he who believes would never kill))

[Abo Dawood in his Sunan]

 The believer is restrained, for his faith restrains him from fulfilling his desires (in non-Islamic ways).

Glad tidings to every Muslim:

 Allah says:

(( Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be the Paradise. They fight in Allah's Cause, so they kill (sh3er) and are killed. It is a promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Qur'an. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded. That is the supreme success.))

[At-Taubah, 111]

 Hereinafter glad tidings to you: You might be amongst the lowest class in a society, with a low profile and no one pays attention to you, however you are significant in the sight of Allah because you are obedient to Him.
 Allah won’t waste what you sacrificed for the sake of your faith:
 The following Ayah is very precise:

(( And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem).))

[Al-Baqarah, 143]

 You will be rewarded abundantly for all the losses (the results of your sacrifices) for the sake of your faith.
 Believe me dear brother that every believer will pay a price for his faith.
 An owner of a restaurant who used to serve wine for twenty five years has repented recently, he swore to me that his income decreased to one tenth of what it used to be, and of course he is paying the price for his faith, but on the other hand, Allah will compensate him exponentially in other ways such like in enjoying his faith and in having happiness, tranquility, wisdom, safety and prosperity in the future and eventually paradise will be the utmost price.
 Don’t even think that anything you sacrifice (for the sake of your faith) will be wasted without a reward.

((Whosoever offers a good deed whether he is a Muslim or Kafir, should be rewarded in this worldly life or in the hereafter))

(( And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem).))

[Al-Baqarah, 143]

 This Ayah addresses those who don’t sell their religion for worldly goods.
 Consider the example of someone who was very rich and was poisoned by his heir, so the latter offered the forensic physician 25 million Liras to write in his report that the death was of normal causes, however the physician wrote: the cause of death is a homicide by poisoning the deceased and according to which statement he is refusing the huge amount of money and is satisfied with his low salary. Faith is manifested in this example, and be aware that Allah will reward him in the worldly life before the hereafter.
 You will be tested in your faith, and Allah (out of His perfection) will never waste any sacrifice you offer, because you tend to miss lots of opportunities because of your faith. For example, you might have given greater importance to the faith of the wife you have chosen over her beauty, and you, out of fearing Allah, didn’t choose the beautiful one because she is not religious, so in this case Allah will grant you happiness with the one you have chosen more than the happiness you might think you would have had if you had chosen the beautiful one.
 I think this Ayah is inclusive, and it motivates all of us to offer more sacrifices, to stick more to our religion and to be more optimistic.
 Though it is shameful what our religion is facing nowadays, yet the future is to Islam and eventually it will gain the upper hand.

Scenes from history:

 Allah says:

(( Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be overcomed. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto Hell.))

[Al-Anfal, 36]

(( Say (O Muhammad) to those who disbelieve: "You will be defeated and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest."))

[Aal-‘Imran, 12]

 If we were to look back in our history: Quraish conquered the entire Arabian peninsula, they had the financial resources, the notability, the upper hand, the horses and the swords, whereas the companions were weak and poor, but what was the result?
 Where are those who opposed and fought the prophet PBUH for twenty years? They are in the dump of history.
 All of those who visit Al Madinah Al Munawarah stand in front of the prophet’s grave PBUH and cry, then they stand in front of Assideeq’s grave and they cry, and finally they stand in front of Umar’s grave and they cry, but why?
 Because those were weak and poor but they stood by the side of the truth and supported it, hence, triumph lies in being optimistic. Allah says:

(( And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem).))

[Al-Baqarah, 143]

 We are in dire need for a strong faith, and perhaps our Salah and the reauthord Quran sharpen our spirits and motivate us to offer sincere, purposeful and lawful Islamic deeds.