Surah Taubah >> Currently viewing Surah Taubah Ayat 120 (9:120)

Surah Taubah Ayat 120 in Arabic Text

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,
Maa kaana li ahlil Madeenati wa man hawlahum minal A’raabi ai yatakhallafoo ‘ar-Rasoolil laahi wa laa yarghaboo bi anfusihim ‘an nafsih; zaalika bi annahum laa yuseebuhum zama unw wa laa nasabunw wa laa makhmasatun fee sabeelil laahi wa laa yata’oona mawti’ai yagheezul kuffaara wa laa yanaaloona min ‘aduwwin nailan illaa kutiba lahum bihee ‘amalun saalih; innal laaha laa yudee’u ajral muhsineen

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 120

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.

Yusuf Ali
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;-

Abul Ala Maududi
It did not behove the people of Madinah and the bedouin Arabs around them that they should refrain from accompanying the Messenger of Allah and stay behind and prefer their own security to his. For whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger in the Way of Allah, and whenever they tread a place which enrages the unbelievers (whenever anything of this comes to pass), a good deed is recorded in their favour. Allah does not cause the work of the doers of good to go to waste.

Muhsin Khan
It was not becoming of the people of Al-Madinah and the bedouins of the neighbourhood to remain behind Allah’s Messenger (Muhammad SAW when fighting in Allah’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 Allah, 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, Allah wastes not the reward of the Muhsinun

Pickthall
It is not for the townsfolk of Al-Madinah and for those around them of the wandering Arabs so stay behind the messenger of Allah and prefer their lives to his life. That is because neither thirst nor toil nor hunger afflicteth them in the way of Allah, nor step they any step that angereth the disbelievers, nor gain they from the enemy a gain, but a good deed is recorded for them therefor. Lo! Allah loseth not the wages of the good.

Dr. Ghali
In no way should the population of Al-Madînah and the Arabs (of the desert) around them stay behind the Messenger of Allah or desirously care more for themselves than for him (Literally: care more for their selves than for his self ; i.e., prefer their lives to his life). That is for that they are afflicted neither by thirst, nor toil, nor scantiness in the way of Allah, nor do they tread any tread enraging the steadfast disbelievers nor attain from an enemy any attainment, except that a righteous deed is thereby written for them (i.e., written to their account) Surely Allah does not waste the reward of the fair-doers

Abdel Haleem
The people of Medina and their neighbouring desert Arabs should not have held back from following God’s Messenger, nor should they have cared about themselves more than him: if ever they suffer any thirst, weariness, or hunger in God’s cause, take any step that angers the disbelievers, or cause any harm to an enemy, a good deed is recorded in their favour on account of it- God never wastes the reward of those who do good-

Muhammad Junagarhi
مدینہ کے رہنے والوں کو اور جو دیہاتی ان کے گردوپیش ہیں ان کو یہ زیبا نہ تھا کہ رسول اللہ کو چھوڑ کر پیچھے ره جائیں اور نہ یہ کہ اپنی جان کو ان کی جان سے عزیز سمجھیں، یہ اس سبب سے کہ ان کو اللہ کی راه میں جو پیاس لگی اور جو تکان پہنچی اور جو بھوک لگی اور جو کسی ایسی جگہ چلے جو کفار کے لیے موجب غیﻆ ہوا ہو اور دشمنوں کی جو کچھ خبر لی، ان سب پر ان کے نام (ایک ایک) نیک کام لکھا گیا۔ یقیناً اللہ تعالیٰ مخلصین کا اجر ضائع نہیں کرتا

Quran 9 Verse 120 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Taubah ayat 120, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(9:120) It did not behove the people of Madinah and the bedouin Arabs around them that they should refrain from accompanying the Messenger of Allah and stay behind and prefer their own security to his. For whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger in the Way of Allah, and whenever they tread a place which enrages the unbelievers (whenever anything of this comes to pass), a good deed is recorded in their favour. Allah does not cause the work of the doers of good to go to waste.


There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.

Ibn-Kathir

120. 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, nor did 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, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.


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 . 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,

﴿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)

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