Tafsir
Tafsir of At-Tawbah 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
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.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir · English
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)
Tafsir text: quran.com and the House of Islam API. · At-Tawbah 9:120