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At-Tawbah 120

Ayah 120 of 129 · Medinan

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

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: Saheeh International (English)

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

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. مَاNotmā
  2. كَانَit waskāna
  3. لِأَهۡلِ(for) the peopleli-ahli
  4. ٱلۡمَدِينَةِof the Madinahl-madīnati
  5. وَمَنۡand whowaman
  6. حَوۡلَهُمwere around themḥawlahum
  7. مِّنَofmina
  8. ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِthe bedouinsl-aʿrābi
  9. أَنthatan
  10. يَتَخَلَّفُواْthey remain behindyatakhallafū
  11. عَنafterʿan
  12. رَّسُولِthe Messengerrasūli
  13. ٱللَّهِof Allahl-lahi
  14. وَلَاand notwalā
  15. يَرۡغَبُواْthey preferyarghabū
  16. بِأَنفُسِهِمۡtheir livesbi-anfusihim
  17. عَنtoʿan
  18. نَّفۡسِهِۦۚhis lifenafsihi
  19. ذَٰلِكَThat isdhālika
  20. بِأَنَّهُمۡbecause [they]bi-annahum
  21. لَا(does) notlā
  22. يُصِيبُهُمۡafflict themyuṣībuhum
  23. ظَمَأٞthirstẓama-on
  24. وَلَاand notwalā
  25. نَصَبٞfatiguenaṣabun
  26. وَلَاand notwalā
  27. مَخۡمَصَةٞhungermakhmaṣatun
  28. فِيinfī
  29. سَبِيلِ(the) waysabīli
  30. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
  31. وَلَاand notwalā
  32. يَطَـُٔونَthey stepyaṭaūna
  33. مَوۡطِئٗاany stepmawṭi-an
  34. يَغِيظُthat angersyaghīẓu
  35. ٱلۡكُفَّارَthe disbelieversl-kufāra
  36. وَلَاand notwalā
  37. يَنَالُونَthey inflictyanālūna
  38. مِنۡonmin
  39. عَدُوّٖan enemyʿaduwwin
  40. نَّيۡلًاan inflictionnaylan
  41. إِلَّاexceptillā
  42. كُتِبَis recordedkutiba
  43. لَهُمfor themlahum
  44. بِهِۦin itbihi
  45. عَمَلٞ(as) a deedʿamalun
  46. صَٰلِحٌۚrighteousṣāliḥun
  47. إِنَّIndeedinna
  48. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  49. لَا(does) notlā
  50. يُضِيعُallow to be lostyuḍīʿu
  51. أَجۡرَthe rewardajra
  52. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ(of) the good-doersl-muḥ'sinīna

Tafsir

It is not for the people of Medina, or those around them of the people who live in the desert, to stay behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)if he himself goes out to fight, or to be stingy with themselves and give preference to their own safety over the safety of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, they should sacrifice themselves for him. This is because they suffer no thirst, tiredness or hunger for the sake of Allah, and do not step anywhere in the land of those who deny the truth with their own feet or the hooves of their horses or camels, angering thereby those who oppose the truth, and do not make a gain over their enemy, killing or capturing them, making war gains or defeating them, except that Allah records for them the reward of a good action for them, which He accepts from them. Allah does not allow the reward of those who do good to be lost. Rather, He gives it to them in full, and increases the reward for them.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran