Quran Universe
9:120

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

Ma kana liahli almadeenati waman hawlahum mina alaAArabi an yatakhallafoo AAan rasooli Allahi wala yarghaboo bianfusihim AAan nafsihi thalika biannahum la yuseebuhum thamaon wala nasabun wala makhmasatun fee sabeeli Allahi wala yataoona mawtian yagheethu alkuffara wala yanaloona min AAaduwwin naylan illa kutiba lahum bihi AAamalun salihun inna Allaha la yudeeAAu ajra almuhsineena

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.

Word by word
  1. مَاNot
  2. كَانَit was
  3. لِأَهۡلِ(for) the people
  4. ٱلۡمَدِينَةِof the Madinah
  5. وَمَنۡand who
  6. حَوۡلَهُمwere around them
  7. مِّنَof
  8. ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِthe bedouins
  9. أَنthat
  10. يَتَخَلَّفُواْthey remain behind
  11. عَنafter
  12. رَّسُولِthe Messenger
  13. ٱللَّهِof Allah
  14. وَلَاand not
  15. يَرۡغَبُواْthey prefer
  16. بِأَنفُسِهِمۡtheir lives
  17. عَنto
  18. نَّفۡسِهِۦۚhis life
  19. ذَٰلِكَThat is
  20. بِأَنَّهُمۡbecause [they]
  21. لَا(does) not
  22. يُصِيبُهُمۡafflict them
  23. ظَمَأٞthirst
  24. وَلَاand not
  25. نَصَبٞfatigue
  26. وَلَاand not
  27. مَخۡمَصَةٞhunger
  28. فِيin
  29. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  30. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  31. وَلَاand not
  32. يَطَـُٔونَthey step
  33. مَوۡطِئٗاany step
  34. يَغِيظُthat angers
  35. ٱلۡكُفَّارَthe disbelievers
  36. وَلَاand not
  37. يَنَالُونَthey inflict
  38. مِنۡon
  39. عَدُوّٖan enemy
  40. نَّيۡلًاan infliction
  41. إِلَّاexcept
  42. كُتِبَis recorded
  43. لَهُمfor them
  44. بِهِۦin it
  45. عَمَلٞ(as) a deed
  46. صَٰلِحٌۚrighteous
  47. إِنَّIndeed
  48. ٱللَّهَAllah
  49. لَا(does) not
  50. يُضِيعُallow to be lost
  51. أَجۡرَthe reward
  52. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ(of) the good-doers
At-Tawbah · 9:120Madinah

Every thirst, every tired step, is written down.

No effort for Allah is wasted

What is recorded
thirst
fatigue
hunger
every stepon the road
each
a good deedwritten for them
What counts as a deed
only the resultwhat I achieve
the cost tootiredness for His sake

Ibn Kathir says those around Madinah who stayed back from Tabuk preferred to preserve themselves over sharing the Prophet's ﷺ hardship. They lost the reward written for those who went: every thirst, every fatigue, every hunger, even things not under their control, recorded as good deeds.

The night shift where you stayed patient. The tired walk to the masjid in the rain. The hunger of a long fast at work. You think none of it counts because nothing big came of it. Allah does not let the reward of those who do good be lost.

The hard parts of doing good are just the price, not the reward.

Every bit of tiredness for Allah's sake is written as a good deed.

Try this

When you feel tired doing something good today, quietly intend it for Allah.

Related18:30
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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 (120)

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,

لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ

(they suffer neither 'Ẓama''), thirst,

وَلَا نَصَبٌ

(nor 'Naşab'), fatigue,

وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ

(nor 'Makhmaşah'), hunger,

وَلَا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ

(nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers), by strategies of war that would terrify their enemy,

وَلَا يَنَالُونَ

(nor inflict), a defeat on the enemy,

إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم

(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 لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(Surely, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.)

Allah said in a similar Ayah,

إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا

(Certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost)