Surah At-Tawba 9:122 — translation and meaning

التوبة · Verse 122 / 129 · Page 206

ۚ وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ

Word by Word

ۚ
وَمَا
wama
And not
كَانَ
kana
is
الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
al-mu'minuna
(for) the believers
لِيَنفِرُوا
liyanfiru
that they go forth
كَافَّةً
kaffatan
all together
فَلَوْلَا
falawla
So if not
نَفَرَ
nafara
go forth
مِن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
every
فِرْقَةٍ
fir'qatin
group
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
طَائِفَةٌ
taifatun
a party
لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا
liyatafaqqahu
that they may obtain understanding
فِي
fi
in
الدِّينِ
al-dini
the religion
وَلِيُنذِرُوا
waliyundhiru
and that they may warn
قَوْمَهُمْ
qawmahum
their people
إِذَا
idha
when
رَجَعُوا
raja'u
they return
إِلَيْهِمْ
ilayhim
to them
لَعَلَّهُمْ
la'allahum
so that they may
يَحْذَرُونَ
yahdharuna
beware

Transliteration

Wa maa kaanal mu'minoona liyanfiroo kaaaffah; falaw laa nafara min kulli firqatim minhum taaa'ifatul liyatafaqqahoo fiddeeni wa liyunziroo qawmahum izaa raja'ooo ilaihim la'allahum yahzaroon

Translation

And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

The believers should not go out all together to fight, so that they are not wiped out if their enemy overcomes them, and they should not all stay behind. A group should go out to strive for Allah’s sake, and a group should remain behind to accompany the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and to gain understanding of the religion through the Qur’ān and sacred laws they hear from him, peace and blessings be upon him, to advise their people when they return to them of what they have learned, so that they are aware of Allah’s punishment and His consequences and they follow what He instructs and stay away from what He has not allowed. This was concerning the companies that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would send to different areas, choosing a group from among his companions.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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