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At-Tawbah (The Repentance)

Verse 120of 129

مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا۟ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌۭ وَلَا نَصَبٌۭ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌۭ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوْطِئًۭا يَغِيظُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّۢ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌۭ صَٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ﴿١٢٠

Translation (Sahih International)

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

Word-by-word meaning

مَاNot
كَانَkānait was
لِأَهْلِli-ahli(for) the people
ٱلْمَدِينَةِl-madīnatiof the Madinah
وَمَنْwamanand who
حَوْلَهُمḥawlahumwere around them
مِّنَminaof
ٱلْأَعْرَابِl-aʿrābithe bedouins
أَنanthat
يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟yatakhallafūthey remain behind
عَنʿanafter
رَّسُولِrasūlithe Messenger
ٱللَّهِl-lahiof Allah
وَلَاwalāand not
يَرْغَبُوا۟yarghabūthey prefer
بِأَنفُسِهِمْbi-anfusihimtheir lives
عَنʿanto
نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚnafsihihis life
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat is
بِأَنَّهُمْbi-annahumbecause [they]
لَا(does) not
يُصِيبُهُمْyuṣībuhumafflict them
ظَمَأٌۭẓama-onthirst
وَلَاwalāand not
نَصَبٌۭnaṣabunfatigue
وَلَاwalāand not
مَخْمَصَةٌۭmakhmaṣatunhunger
فِىin
سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
وَلَاwalāand not
يَطَـُٔونَyaṭaūnathey step
مَوْطِئًۭاmawṭi-anany step
يَغِيظُyaghīẓuthat angers
ٱلْكُفَّارَl-kufārathe disbelievers
وَلَاwalāand not
يَنَالُونَyanālūnathey inflict
مِنْminon
عَدُوٍّۢʿaduwwinan enemy
نَّيْلًاnaylanan infliction
إِلَّاillāexcept
كُتِبَkutibais recorded
لَهُمlahumfor them
بِهِۦbihiin it
عَمَلٌۭʿamalun(as) a deed
صَـٰلِحٌ ۚṣāliḥunrighteous
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
لَا(does) not
يُضِيعُyuḍīʿuallow to be lost
أَجْرَajrathe reward
ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَl-muḥ'sinīna(of) the good-doers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Rewards of JihadAllah, 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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