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Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 120 (9:120)

ٱلتَّوْبَة

مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ …

Quran 9:120 is ayah 120 of Surah At-Tawbah (“The Repentance”), a Medinan surah of 129 ayahs. It is in Juz 11, on page 206 of the Madani Mushaf.

9:120
مَاكَانَلِأَهْلِٱلْمَدِينَةِوَمَنْحَوْلَهُممِّنَٱلْأَعْرَابِأَنيَتَخَلَّفُوا۟عَنرَّسُولِٱللَّهِوَلَايَرْغَبُوا۟بِأَنفُسِهِمْعَننَّفْسِهِۦ ۚذَٰلِكَبِأَنَّهُمْلَايُصِيبُهُمْظَمَأٌوَلَانَصَبٌوَلَامَخْمَصَةٌفِىسَبِيلِٱللَّهِوَلَايَطَُٔونَمَوْطِئًايَغِيظُٱلْكُفَّارَوَلَايَنَالُونَمِنْعَدُوٍّنَّيْلًاإِلَّاكُتِبَلَهُمبِهِۦعَمَلٌصَٰلِحٌ ۚإِنَّٱللَّهَلَايُضِيعُأَجْرَٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ١٢٠
mā kāna li-ahli l-madīnati waman ḥawlahum mina l-aʿrābi an yatakhallafū ʿan rasūli l-lahi walā yarghabū bi-anfusihim ʿan nafsihi dhālika bi-annahum lā yuṣībuhum ẓama-on walā naṣabun walā makhmaṣatun fī sabīli l-lahi walā yaṭaūna mawṭi-an yaghīẓu l-kufāra walā yanālūna min ʿaduwwin naylan illā kutiba lahum bihi ʿamalun ṣāliḥun inna l-laha lā yuḍīʿu ajra l-muḥ'sinīna

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. 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.(120)

Word by word

  1. مَاmāNot
  2. كَانَkānait was
  3. لِأَهْلِli-ahli(for) the people
  4. ٱلْمَدِينَةِl-madīnatiof the Madinah
  5. وَمَنْwamanand who
  6. حَوْلَهُمḥawlahumwere around them
  7. مِّنَminaof
  8. ٱلْأَعْرَابِl-aʿrābithe bedouins
  9. أَنanthat
  10. يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟yatakhallafūthey remain behind
  11. عَنʿanafter
  12. رَّسُولِrasūlithe Messenger
  13. ٱللَّهِl-lahiof Allah
  14. وَلَاwalāand not
  15. يَرْغَبُوا۟yarghabūthey prefer
  16. بِأَنفُسِهِمْbi-anfusihimtheir lives
  17. عَنʿanto
  18. نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚnafsihihis life
  19. ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat is
  20. بِأَنَّهُمْbi-annahumbecause [they]
  21. لَاlā(does) not
  22. يُصِيبُهُمْyuṣībuhumafflict them
  23. ظَمَأٌẓama-onthirst
  24. وَلَاwalāand not
  25. نَصَبٌnaṣabunfatigue
  26. وَلَاwalāand not
  27. مَخْمَصَةٌmakhmaṣatunhunger
  28. فِىfīin
  29. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  30. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
  31. وَلَاwalāand not
  32. يَطَُٔونَyaṭaūnathey step
  33. مَوْطِئًاmawṭi-anany step
  34. يَغِيظُyaghīẓuthat angers
  35. ٱلْكُفَّارَl-kufārathe disbelievers
  36. وَلَاwalāand not
  37. يَنَالُونَyanālūnathey inflict
  38. مِنْminon
  39. عَدُوٍّʿaduwwinan enemy
  40. نَّيْلًاnaylanan infliction
  41. إِلَّاillāexcept
  42. كُتِبَkutibais recorded
  43. لَهُمlahumfor them
  44. بِهِۦbihiin it
  45. عَمَلٌʿamalun(as) a deed
  46. صَٰلِحٌ ۚṣāliḥunrighteous
  47. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  48. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  49. لَاlā(does) not
  50. يُضِيعُyuḍīʿuallow to be lost
  51. أَجْرَajrathe reward
  52. ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَl-muḥ'sinīna(of) the good-doers

Tafsir (commentary) of 9:120

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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,

لاَ يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ

(they suffer neither Zama'), thirst,

وَلاَ نَصَبٌ

(nor Nasab), fatigue,

وَلاَ مَخْمَصَةٌ

(nor Makhmasah), hunger,

وَلاَ يَطَأُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ

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

وَلاَ يَنَالُونَ

(nor inflict), a defeat on the enemy,

إِلاَّ كُتِبَ لَهُمْ

(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 لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(Surely, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.) Allah said in a similar Ayah,

إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلاً

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

Read the full Surah At-Tawbah