At-Tawbah: 120

Ayah

Word by Word

مَا

Not

كَانَ

it was

لِأَهۡلِ

(for) the people

ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ

of the Madinah

وَمَنۡ

and who

حَوۡلَهُم

were around them

مِّنَ

ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ

the bedouins

أَن

that

يَتَخَلَّفُواْ

they remain behind

عَن

after

رَّسُولِ

the Messenger

ٱللَّهِ

of Allah

وَلَا

and not

يَرۡغَبُواْ

they prefer

بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ

their lives

عَن

نَّفۡسِهِۦۚ

his life

ذَٰلِكَ

That is

بِأَنَّهُمۡ

because [they]

لَا

(does) not

يُصِيبُهُمۡ

afflict them

ظَمَأٞ

thirst

وَلَا

and not

نَصَبٞ

fatigue

وَلَا

and not

مَخۡمَصَةٞ

hunger

فِي

سَبِيلِ

(the) way

ٱللَّهِ

(of) Allah

وَلَا

and not

يَطَـُٔونَ

they step

مَوۡطِئٗا

any step

يَغِيظُ

that angers

ٱلۡكُفَّارَ

the disbelievers

وَلَا

and not

يَنَالُونَ

they inflict

مِنۡ

عَدُوّٖ

an enemy

نَّيۡلًا

an infliction

إِلَّا

except

كُتِبَ

is recorded

لَهُم

for them

بِهِۦ

in it

عَمَلٞ

(as) a deed

صَٰلِحٌۚ

righteous

إِنَّ

Indeed

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

لَا

(does) not

يُضِيعُ

allow to be lost

أَجۡرَ

the reward

ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

(of) the good-doers

Translation

It was not fitting for the people of Medina and the Bedouin Arabs of the neighbourhood, to refuse to follow Allah's Messenger, nor to prefer their own lives to his: because nothing could they suffer or do, but was reckoned to their credit as a deed of righteousness,- whether they suffered thirst, or fatigue, or hunger, in the cause of Allah, or trod paths to raise the ire of the Unbelievers, or received any injury whatever from an enemy: for Allah suffereth not the reward to be lost of those who do good;-

Tafsir

"Rewards of Jihad

Allah says;

مَا كَانَ لاِاَهۡلِ الۡمَدِينَةِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُم مِّنَ الَاعۡرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُواۡ عَن رَّسُولِ اللّهِ وَلَا يَرۡغَبُواۡ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ عَن نَّفۡسِهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ لَا يُصِيبُهُمۡ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخۡمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ

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,

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. They sought to preserve themselves rather than comfort the Messenger during the hardship that he suffered in that battle. They incurred a loss in their share of the reward, since,

لَا يُصِيبُهُمۡ ظَمَأٌ

they suffer neither Zama, (thirst),

وَلَا نَصَبٌ

nor Nasab, (fatigue),

وَلَا مَخۡمَصَةٌ

nor Makhmasah, (hunger),

فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ

in the cause of Allah,

وَلَا يَطَوُونَ مَوۡطِيًا يَغِيظُ الۡكُفَّارَ

nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers,

by strategies of war that would terrify their enemy,

وَلَا يَنَالُونَ

مِنۡ عَدُوٍّ نَّيۡلً

nor inflict any injury upon an enemy,

a defeat on the enemy,

إِلاَّ 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,

بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ

as a deed of righteousness.

إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ الۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

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

Allah said in a similar Ayah,

إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ مَنۡ أَحۡسَنَ عَمَلً

Certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost. (18:30)

Allah said next,

وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ

Neither do they spend,

in reference to the fighters in Allah's cause,

نَفَقَةً صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً

any contribution -- small or great --,

with regards to its amount,

وَلَا يَقۡطَعُونَ وَادِيًا

nor cross a valley,

while marching towards the enemy,

إِلاَّ كُتِبَ لَهُمۡ

but is written to their credit,

for these actions that they take (and which are under their control),

لِيَجۡزِيَهُمُ اللّهُ أَحۡسَنَ مَا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ

that Allah may recompense them with the best of what they used to do.

Certainly, the Leader of the faithful, Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, acquired a tremendous share of the virtues mentioned in this honorable Ayah. He spent large amounts and tremendous wealth on this battle (Tabuk).

Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdur-Rahman bin Khabbab As-Sulami said;

""The Messenger of Allah gave a speech in which he encouraged spending on the army of distress (for Tabuk).

Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him said; `I will give one hundred camels with their saddles and supplies.'

Then he exhorted them some more. So Uthman said; `I will give one hundred more camels with their saddles and supplies.'

Then he descended one step of the Minbar and exhorted them some more. So Uthman bin Affan said; `I will give one hundred more camels with their saddles and supplies.'

Then I ﷺ Allah's Messenger with his hand moving like this - and Abdus-Samad's (one of the narrators) hand went out like one in amazement - he said,

مَا عَلَى عُثۡمَانَ مَا عَمِلَ بَعۡدَ هَذَا

It does not matter what Uthman does after.

It is also recorded in the Musnad that Abdur-Rahman bin Samurah said,""

Uthman brought a thousand Dinars in his garment so that the Prophet could prepare supplies for the army of distress. Uthman poured the money on the Prophet's lap, and the Prophet started turning it around with his hand and declaring repeatedly,

مَا ضَرَّ ابۡنَ عَفَّانٍ مَا عَمِلَ بَعۡدَ الۡيَوۡم

The son of Affan (i.e., Uthman) will never be harmed by anything he does after today.""

Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَقۡطَعُونَ وَادِيًا إِلاَّ كُتِبَ لَهُمۡ

(nor cross a valley, but is written to their credit),

""The farther any people march forth away from their families in the cause of Allah, the nearer they will be to Allah.

Allah the Exalted here explains His order to Muslims to march forth with the Messenger of Allah for the battle of Tabuk

Allah says;

وَمَا كَانَ الۡمُوۡمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواۡ كَأفَّةً فَلَوۡلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرۡقَةٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ طَأيِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواۡ فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُواۡ قَوۡمَهُمۡ إِذَا رَجَعُواۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَحۡذَرُونَ

And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out (to fight - Jihad) all together. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they may get instructions in religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of evil).

We should first mention that a group of the Salaf said that marching along with the Messenger, when he went to battle, was at first obliged on all Muslims, because, as they say, Allah said,

انۡفِرُواۡ خِفَافًا وَثِقَالاً

(March forth, whether you are light or heavy) (9:41), and,

مَا كَانَ لاِاَهۡلِ الۡمَدِينَةِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُم مِّنَ الَاعۡرَابِ

(It was not becoming of the people of Al-Madinah and the Bedouins of the neighborhood...) (9:120). However, they said, Allah abrogated this ruling (9:41 and 9:120) when He revealed this Ayah, (9:122).

However, we could say that this Ayah explains Allah's order to participate in battle on all Arab neighborhoods, that at least a group of every tribe should march for Jihad. Those who went with the Messenger would gain instructions and studies in the revelation that came down to him, and warn their people about that battle when they returned to them. This way, the group that went with the Prophet will achieve both goals (Jihad and learning the revelation from the Prophet).

After the Prophet, a group of every tribe or neighborhood should seek religious knowledge or perform Jihad, for in this case, Jihad is required from at least a part of each Muslim community.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas about the Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ الۡمُوۡمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواۡ كَأفَّةً

(And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out (to fight - Jihad) all together),

""The believers should not all go to battle and leave the Prophet alone,

فَلَوۡلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرۡقَةٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ طَأيِفَةٌ

(Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth) in the expeditions that the Prophet sent. When these armies returned to the Prophet, who in the meantime received revealed parts of the Qur'an from Allah, the group who remained with the Prophet would have learned that revelation from him. They would say, `Allah has revealed some parts of the Qur'an to your Prophet and we learned it.' So they learned from them what Allah revealed to His Prophet in their absence, while the Prophet sent some other men into military expeditions. Hence Allah's statement,

لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواۡ فِي الدِّين

(that they may get instructions in religion,) so that they learn what Allah has revealed to their Prophet and teach the armies when they return,

لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَحۡذَرُونَ

(so that they may beware).""

Mujahid said,

""This Ayah was revealed about some of the Companions of the Prophet who went to the desert and were helped by its residents, had a good rainy year and called whomever they met to guidance. The people said to them, `We see that you left your companions and came to us.' They felt bad in themselves because of this and they all came back from the desert to the Prophet.

Allah said,

فَلَوۡلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرۡقَةٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ طَأيِفَةٌ

(Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth), those who seek righteousness (such as to spread the call of Islam, while others remain behind),

لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواۡ فِي الدِّين

(that they may get instructions in (Islamic) religion) and learn what Allah has revealed,

وَلِيُنذِرُواۡ قَوۡمَهُمۡ

(and that they may warn their people), when those who went forth returned to them,

لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَحۡذَرُونَ

(so that they may beware (of evil)).""

Qatadah said about this Ayah,

""It is about when the Messenger of Allah sent an army; Allah commanded them to go into battle, while another group remained with the Messenger of Allah to gain instructions in the religion. Another group returns to its own people to call them (to Allah) and warn them against Allah's punishment of those who were before them.""

It was also said that;

this verse,

وَمَا كَانَ الۡمُوۡمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواۡ كَأفَّة

(And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out all together) is not about joining Jihad.

They say that the Messenger of Allah invoked Allah against Mudar to try them with years of famine, and their lands were struck by famine. The various tribes among them started to come, entire tribes at a time, to Al-Madinah, because of the hardship they faced and they would falsely claim that they are Muslims. This caused hardship for the Companions of the Messenger and Allah revealed to him that they are not believers. The Messenger of Allah sent them back to their tribes and warned their people not to repeat what they did. Hence Allah's statement,

وَلِيُنذِرُواۡ قَوۡمَهُمۡ إِذَا رَجَعُواۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ

(and that they may warn their people when they return to them)"