Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 122

Mufti Taqi Usmani

It is not (necessary) for all the believers to go forth.’; So, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect understanding of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may take due care (of the rules of Sharī‘ah ).

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹However,˺ it is not necessary for the believers to march forth all at once. Only a party from each group should march forth, leaving the rest to gain religious knowledge then enlighten their people when they return to them, so that they ˹too˺ may beware ˹of evil˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is not right for the believers to march forth all at once; a group should go forth to acquire deeper knowledge of the religion, in order to admonish their people when they return to them, so that they may be cautious.

A. J. Arberry

It is not for the believers to go forth totally; but why should not a party of every section of them go forth, to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, that haply they may beware?

Abdul Haleem

Yet it is not right for all the believers to go out [to battle] together: out of each community, a group should go out to gain understanding of the religion, so that they can teach their people when they return and so that they can guard themselves against evil.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And it is not for the believers to march forth all together. So why should not a band from each party of them march forth so that they may gain understanding in religion and that when they come back unto them, haply they might warn their people when they come back unto them, haply they may beware!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor should the Believers all go forth together; if a contingent from every expedition remained behind, they could devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them,- that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil).

Abul Ala Maududi

It was not necessary for the believers to go forth all together (to receive religious instruction), but why did not a party of them go forth that they may grow in religious understanding, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may avoid (erroneous attitudes)?

Ahmed Ali

It is not possible for all believers to go out (to fight). So a part of each section (of the population) should go (to fight) in order that the others may acquire understanding of law and divinity, and warn their companions on return so that they may take heed for themselves.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And it is not possible for the Muslims that all of them go out; so it should be that a party from each group goes forth in order to gain knowledge in religion, and upon returning they warn their people in the hope that they may avoid.

Ali Quli Qarai

Yet it is not for the faithful to go forth en masse. But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?

Ali Ünal

And the believers should not go forth to war all together. But why should not a party from every community of them mobilize to acquire profound, correct knowledge and understanding of religion and warn their people when they return to them so that they may beware (of wrongful attitudes)?

Amatul Rahman Omar

It is not possible for the believers to go forth (from their homes learning for religious learning) all together. Then, why should not a party from every section of them go forth, that they may (learn and) become well-versed in religion, and may warn their people when they return (home) to them, so that they too may guard against (unislamic ways of life).

English Literal

And the believers were not to rush/hasten all (to battle) , so if only (there were) a group from every group/party from them, a group of people to learn/comprehend/have knowledge in the religion, and to warn/give notice (to) their nation if they returned to them, maybe/perhaps they be warned/cautioned .

Faridul Haque

And it is not possible for the Muslims that all of them go out; so it should be that a party from each group go forth in order to gain knowledge in religion, and upon returning warn their people in the hope that they may avoid.

Hamid S. Aziz

The believers should not march forth altogether. If a section from every troop remain behind, then they could devote themselves to gaining sound knowledge of their religion and teach their people when they return to them, that per chance (or possibly) they may beware of evil.

Hilali & Khan

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 (who are left behind) may get instructions in (Islamic) religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of evil).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nor spend they any thing, small or great, nor do they traverse a valley but it is written down for them, that Allah may reward them for the best of what they did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And it does not beseem the believers that they should go forth all together; why should not then a company from every party from among them go forth that they may apply themselves to obtain understanding in religion, and that they may warn their people when they come back to them that they may be cautious?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And the believers should not all go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware.

Muhammad Sarwar

Not all believers have to become specialists in religious learning. Why do not some people from each group of believers seek to become specialists in religious learning and, after completing their studies, guide their group so that they will have fear of God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The believers should not go forth altogether, rather, a party from each section should go forth to become well versed in the religion, and when they return to their people warn them in order that they may beware.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

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).

Wahiduddin Khan

It is not right that all the believers should go out [in time of war] all together. Why, then, does not a party from every group come to [the Prophet] in order to acquire a deeper knowledge of religion and to warn their people, so that they can guard themselves against evil?

Talal Itani

It is not advisable for the believers to march out altogether. Of every division that marches out, let a group remain behind, to gain understanding of the religion, and to notify their people when they have returned to them, that they may beware.

Tafsir jalalayn

When the Prophet (s) was about to dispatch a raiding party -- after they [certain Muslims] had been reproached for staying behind -- all of them went forth, and so the following was revealed; It is not for the believers to go forth, on a raid, altogether; why should not a party, a group, of every section, of every tribe, of them go forth, while the others remain behind, so that they, those who remain behind, may become learned in religion and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, from the raid, by teaching them some of the rulings which they have come to learn, so that they may beware? of God's punishment, by adhering to His commands and prohibitions. Ibn `Abbs said that this [verse] is specifically [intended] for raiding parties, while the previous one is [specifically] to prohibit any individual staying behind when the Prophet (s) sets out [on a campaign].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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 الْمُوْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواْ كَأفَّةً فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَأيِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُواْ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ



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,
انْفِرُواْ خِفَافًا وَثِقَالاً
(March forth, whether you are light or heavy) (9;41), and,
مَا كَانَ لاِاَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ الَاعْرَابِ
(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 الْمُوْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواْ 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,
فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ 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,
لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ 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,
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
(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,
فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ 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),
لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ فِي الدِّين
(that they may get instructions in (Islamic) religion) and learn what Allah has revealed,
وَلِيُنذِرُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ
(and that they may warn their people), when those who went forth returned to them,
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
(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 الْمُوْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواْ 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,
وَلِيُنذِرُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُواْ إِلَيْهِمْ
(and that they may warn their people when they return to them)