Salaam,
I guess bro Wakas concern are:
1. Does terminology "al-masjid al-haram" (AMAH) is TIME applicable usage eg. during Hajj period ? (due to Hajj element in 9:19)
or
2. Does terminology "masajid Allah" is TIME applicable eg. outside hajj period ? (No mention of Hajj in 9:17 and 9:18)
indeed, there was abrupt change from "MASJIDs only" (general-plural) in 9:17 & 18 to "al-masjid al-haram" (specific-singular) in 9:19 when "HAJJ" were introduced in 9:19
My analysis:
1. There are many instances of AMAH was related to Shahral Haram, Hajj & Livestock but not all AMAH was related to Shahral Haram, Hajj & Livestock as i could evaluate from 2:144, 2:149, 2:150, 17:1)
2. AMAH exist as long as ABAH (al-bayt al-haram) exist. ABAH is the specific settlement/hometown being referred in 5:2 of which their citizens were able to enforce hunting restriction law. AMAH is subset of ABAH, the way i see it.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ اللَّـهِ وَلَا الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
3. The believers in 5:2 above, were the citizen of ABAH (the settlement area) because they are the ones who were instructed to observed the hunting restriction law and be ready with livestock supply (hajj) for the consumption by the toifin and the qoimin.
4. During the Hajj months the toifin (non citizens of bayt/non locals) and the qoimin (citizens of bayt/locals) will congregate in ABAH to witness the benefit/bounty of livestock which was broughtdown to mankind, remember Allah names (zikrullah ayyamin ma'dudah), do business, learn the restriction law, provide water services (siqayah) to visitors, food planning etc.
5. The instruction to the believers, as well to ta-ifin & qa-imin, not to do rafas (any sexual provocations), fusuq (any evil provocations) and jidal (any debate provocations) was because there were congregations of people. These 3 things normally happen when they were many people of different gender, intentions and thinking level, flocking together in one place.
6. The OBSTRUCTION (َصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ) imposed to the believers in 5:2 and 48:25 was over access to AMAH (the service center), not ABAH (the settlement).
Best regards.