سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 120
مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا۟ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌ صَـٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿120﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It was not becoming of the people of Al-Madinah and the bedouins of the neighbourhood to remain behind Allâh’s Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم when fighting in Allâh’s Cause) and (it was not becoming of them) to prefer their own lives to his life. That is because they suffer neither thirst nor fatigue, nor hunger in the Cause of Allâh, nor 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, Allâh wastes not the reward of the Muhsinûn
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَا
mā
Not
كَانَ
kāna
it was
لِأَهْلِ
li-ahli
(for) the people
ٱلْمَدِينَةِ
l-madīnati
of the Madinah
وَمَنْ
waman
and who
حَوْلَهُم
ḥawlahum
were around them
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْأَعْرَابِ
l-aʿrābi
the bedouins
أَن
an
that
يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟
yatakhallafū
they remain behind
عَن
ʿan
after
رَّسُولِ
rasūli
the Messenger
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
of Allah
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَرْغَبُوا۟
yarghabū
they prefer
بِأَنفُسِهِمْ
bi-anfusihim
their lives
عَن
ʿan
to
نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ
nafsihi
his life
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That is
بِأَنَّهُمْ
bi-annahum
because [they]
لَا
lā
(does) not
يُصِيبُهُمْ
yuṣībuhum
afflict them
ظَمَأٌۭ
ẓama-on
thirst
وَلَا
walā
and not
نَصَبٌۭ
naṣabun
fatigue
وَلَا
walā
and not
مَخْمَصَةٌۭ
makhmaṣatun
hunger
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَطَـُٔونَ
yaṭaūna
they step
مَوْطِئًۭا
mawṭi-an
any step
يَغِيظُ
yaghīẓu
that angers
ٱلْكُفَّارَ
l-kufāra
the disbelievers
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَنَالُونَ
yanālūna
they inflict
مِنْ
min
on
عَدُوٍّۢ
ʿaduwwin
an enemy
نَّيْلًا
naylan
an infliction
إِلَّا
illā
except
كُتِبَ
kutiba
is recorded
لَهُم
lahum
for them
بِهِۦ
bihi
in it
عَمَلٌۭ
ʿamalun
(as) a deed
صَـٰلِحٌ ۚ
ṣāliḥun
righteous
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يُضِيعُ
yuḍīʿu
allow to be lost
أَجْرَ
ajra
the reward
ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
l-muḥ'sinīna
(of) the good-doers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 120) ➊ {مَا كَانَ لِاَهْلِ الْمَدِيْنَةِ … : } The people living in Madinah and the Bedouins living around them, that is, the tribes of Muzainah, Juhainah, Ashja’, Aslam, Ghifar, etc., were commanded to stay with you (ﷺ) even in hardship and difficulty, and to accompany you cheerfully in all the trials and tribulations that arise in difficult situations, to bear the hardships that you (ﷺ) are bearing, because they know well that in the sight of Allah, you (ﷺ) are the most beloved and honored. So when you, despite such honor and dignity, are facing these hardships and difficulties, then it is the right of everyone that they also face what you are facing, and for the sake of your precious life, they should not care for their own lives, nor consider them of any value or worth. How can it be that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offers his life and all his comfort and ease for sacrifice, and they keep saving their own lives? This can never be their right. (Zamakhshari) Abdullah bin Hisham (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates that we were with the Prophet (ﷺ), and he was holding the hand of Umar bin Khattab (رضی اللہ عنہ). Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) said to him: “O Messenger of Allah! Surely you are more beloved to me than everything except my own self.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No! By Him in Whose hand is my soul! Not until I become more beloved to you than your own self.” So Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) said: “Then indeed, by Allah! Now you are more beloved to me than my own self.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Now, O Umar! (You have become a complete believer).” [ بخاری، الأیمان والنذور، باب کیف کان یمین النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : ۶۶۳۲ ]
➋ { ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيْبُهُمْ ظَمَاٌ وَّ لَا نَصَبٌ … : ’’ ظَمَاٌ ‘‘} Thirst, {’’ نَصَبٌ ‘‘} fatigue, hardship, toil. {’’ مَخْمَصَةٌ ‘‘} Severe hunger in which the stomach sticks to the back, just as the sole of the foot ({اَخْمَصُ}) is. {’’ وَطِئَ يَطَأُ ‘‘ مَوْطِئًا} (‘A) is a ظرف, a place to tread, to step. {’’غَاظَ يَغِيْظُ‘‘} To enrage, that is, by stepping on the paths, mountains, settlements, lands, houses, and fields, or by their horses and other mounts trampling over them, the hearts of the disbelievers are filled with anger and jealousy, and they become alarmed and frightened. (Ibn Kathir) {’’ وَ لَا يَنَالُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’نَالَ يَنَالُ‘‘} The literal meaning is to take, to obtain, that is, if the Muslims conquer any land or city of the enemy, or kill or capture them, or obtain spoils of war, or inflict any loss upon them, in short, every success obtained from them and every good deed is written down, and its reward will surely be given to them, because all these actions of theirs are for the sake of Allah and in obedience to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and this is called ihsan and goodness, and Allah never wastes the reward of those who do good.
➋ { ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيْبُهُمْ ظَمَاٌ وَّ لَا نَصَبٌ … : ’’ ظَمَاٌ ‘‘} Thirst, {’’ نَصَبٌ ‘‘} fatigue, hardship, toil. {’’ مَخْمَصَةٌ ‘‘} Severe hunger in which the stomach sticks to the back, just as the sole of the foot ({اَخْمَصُ}) is. {’’ وَطِئَ يَطَأُ ‘‘ مَوْطِئًا} (‘A) is a ظرف, a place to tread, to step. {’’غَاظَ يَغِيْظُ‘‘} To enrage, that is, by stepping on the paths, mountains, settlements, lands, houses, and fields, or by their horses and other mounts trampling over them, the hearts of the disbelievers are filled with anger and jealousy, and they become alarmed and frightened. (Ibn Kathir) {’’ وَ لَا يَنَالُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’نَالَ يَنَالُ‘‘} The literal meaning is to take, to obtain, that is, if the Muslims conquer any land or city of the enemy, or kill or capture them, or obtain spoils of war, or inflict any loss upon them, in short, every success obtained from them and every good deed is written down, and its reward will surely be given to them, because all these actions of theirs are for the sake of Allah and in obedience to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and this is called ihsan and goodness, and Allah never wastes the reward of those who do good.
