Surah At-Taubah Ayah 120

At-Taubah · Ayah 120 · Juz 11 · Page 206

مَا كَانَ لِأَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُواْ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرۡغَبُواْ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ لَا يُصِيبُهُمۡ ظَمَأٞ وَلَا نَصَبٞ وَلَا مَخۡمَصَةٞ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوۡطِئٗا يَغِيظُ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنۡ عَدُوّٖ نَّيۡلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٞ صَٰلِحٌۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٢٠

Mā kāna liʾahlil-madīnati wa man ḥawlahum minal-aʿrābi ay yatakhallafū ʿar rasūlillāhi wa lā yarghabū biʾanfusihim ʿan nafsih, dhālika biʾannahum lā yuṣībuhum ẓamaʾuw wa lā naṣabuw wa lā makhmaṣatun fī sabīlillāhi wa lā yaṭaʾūna mawṭiʾay yaghīẓul-kuffāra wa lā yanālūna min ʿaduwwin naylan illā kutiba lahum bihī ʿamalun ṣāliḥ, innallāha lā yuḍīʿu ajral-muḥsinīn.

It was not [proper] for the people of Madīnah and those surrounding them of the bedouins that they remain behind after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh or that they prefer themselves over his self.1 That is because they are not afflicted by thirst or fatigue or hunger in the cause of Allāh, nor do they tread on any ground that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict upon an enemy any infliction but that it is registered for them as a righteous deed. Indeed, Allāh does not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good.

Translation: Sahih International

Footnotes (1)
  1. In times of hardship. Rather, they should have been willing to endure with the Prophet (ﷺ) whatever was necessary for Islām.

This verse is discussed in

Tafsir

It was neither befitting for the people of Al-Madinah and the bedouins of the neighborhood to remain behind Allah's Messenger nor to prefer their own lives to his life. That is because they suffer neither Zama' nor Nasab, nor Makhmasah in the cause of Allah, nor did they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict any injury upon an enemy, but is written to their credit as a deed of righteousness. Surely, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good (120)

Rewards of Jihad

Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, criticizes the people of Al-Madinah and the bedouins around it, who did not participate in the battle of Tabuk with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They sought to preserve themselves rather than comfort the Messenger ﷺ during the hardship that he suffered in that battle. They incurred a loss in their share of the reward, since,

لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ

(they suffer neither 'Ẓama''), thirst,

وَلَا نَصَبٌ

(nor 'Naşab'), fatigue,

وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ

(nor 'Makhmaşah'), hunger,

وَلَا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ

(nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers), by strategies of war that would terrify their enemy,

وَلَا يَنَالُونَ

(nor inflict), a defeat on the enemy,

إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم

(but is written to their credit) as compensation for these steps that are not under their control, but a consequence of performing good deeds that earn them tremendous rewards,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(Surely, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.)

Allah said in a similar Ayah,

إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا

(Certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost)

Word by word52 words

  • مَاNot
  • كَانَit was
  • لِأَهۡلِ(for) the people
  • ٱلۡمَدِينَةِof the Madinah
  • وَمَنۡand who
  • حَوۡلَهُمwere around them
  • مِّنَof
  • ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِthe bedouins
  • أَنthat
  • يَتَخَلَّفُواْthey remain behind
  • عَنafter
  • رَّسُولِthe Messenger
  • ٱللَّهِof Allah
  • وَلَاand not
  • يَرۡغَبُواْthey prefer
  • بِأَنفُسِهِمۡtheir lives
  • عَنto
  • نَّفۡسِهِۦۚhis life
  • ذَٰلِكَThat is
  • بِأَنَّهُمۡbecause [they]
  • لَا(does) not
  • يُصِيبُهُمۡafflict them
  • ظَمَأٞthirst
  • وَلَاand not
  • نَصَبٞfatigue
  • وَلَاand not
  • مَخۡمَصَةٞhunger
  • فِيin
  • سَبِيلِ(the) way
  • ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  • وَلَاand not
  • يَطَـُٔونَthey step
  • مَوۡطِئٗاany step
  • يَغِيظُthat angers
  • ٱلۡكُفَّارَthe disbelievers
  • وَلَاand not
  • يَنَالُونَthey inflict
  • مِنۡon
  • عَدُوّٖan enemy
  • نَّيۡلًاan infliction
  • إِلَّاexcept
  • كُتِبَis recorded
  • لَهُمfor them
  • بِهِۦin it
  • عَمَلٞ(as) a deed
  • صَٰلِحٌۚrighteous
  • إِنَّIndeed
  • ٱللَّهَAllah
  • لَا(does) not
  • يُضِيعُallow to be lost
  • أَجۡرَthe reward
  • ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ(of) the good-doers

Repeated phrases

Read Surah At-Taubah from ayah 120Open in the mushaf, page 206

At-Taubahالتوبة

Repentance · Medinan · 129 ayahs

Juz
11
Page
206
Hizb
21