Quran 9:122 — At-Tawba, verse 122
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
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.
وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
wamā kāna l-mu'minūna liyanfirū kāffatan falawlā nafara min kulli fir'qatin min'hum ṭāifatun liyatafaqqahū fī l-dīni waliyundhirū qawmahum idhā rajaʿū ilayhim laʿallahum yaḥdharūna
Other translations
- 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?
- Muhammad Asad
- With all this, it is not desirable that all of the believers take the field [in time of war]. From within every group in their midst, some shall refrain from going forth to war, and shall devote themselves [instead] to acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Faith. and [thus be able to] teach their home-coming brethren, so that these [too] might guard themselves against evil.
- Sahih International
- 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 [i.e., advise] their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ۞ وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 2 | كَانَkāna | is | كون |
| 3 | ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَl-mu'minūna | (for) the believers | أمن |
| 4 | لِيَنفِرُوا۟liyanfirū | that they go forth | نفر |
| 5 | كَآفَّةًۭ ۚkāffatan | all together | كفف |
| 6 | فَلَوْلَاfalawlā | So if not | — |
| 7 | نَفَرَnafara | go forth | نفر |
| 8 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 9 | كُلِّkulli | every | كلل |
| 10 | فِرْقَةٍۢfir'qatin | group | فرق |
| 11 | مِّنْهُمْmin'hum | among them | — |
| 12 | طَآئِفَةٌۭṭāifatun | a party | طوف |
| 13 | لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟liyatafaqqahū | that they may obtain understanding | فقه |
| 14 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 15 | ٱلدِّينِl-dīni | the religion | دين |
| 16 | وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟waliyundhirū | and that they may warn | نذر |
| 17 | قَوْمَهُمْqawmahum | their people | قوم |
| 18 | إِذَاidhā | when | — |
| 19 | رَجَعُوٓا۟rajaʿū | they return | رجع |
| 20 | إِلَيْهِمْilayhim | to them | — |
| 21 | لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahum | so that they may | — |
| 22 | يَحْذَرُونَyaḥdharūna | beware | حذر |