Quran Universe
9:88

لَٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ جَٰهَدُواْ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتُۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

Lakini alrrasoolu waallatheena amanoo maAAahu jahadoo biamwalihim waanfusihim waolaika lahumu alkhayratu waolaika humu almuflihoona

But the Messenger and those who believed with him fought with their wealth and their lives. Those will have [all that is] good, and it is those who are the successful.

Word by word
  1. لَٰكِنِBut
  2. ٱلرَّسُولُthe Messenger
  3. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  4. ءَامَنُواْbelieved
  5. مَعَهُۥwith him
  6. جَٰهَدُواْstrove
  7. بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡwith their wealth
  8. وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۚand their lives
  9. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَAnd those
  10. لَهُمُfor them
  11. ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتُۖ(are) the good things
  12. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَand those
  13. هُمُthey
  14. ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ(are) the successful ones
At-Tawbah · 9:88Madinah

But the Messenger and the believers gave what they had.

The contrast to those who stayed home

Who went out
the Messenger ﷺled the way
the believerswent with him
gave
wealth and selveswhat they had
the good thingsand success
Two responses to the call
"leave us"the ones with means
"we are coming"with him, whatever it costs

After describing the faults of the hypocrites, Ibn Kathir says Allah praised the faithful believers who strove with the Prophet ﷺ in the heat of Tabuk. For them are the good things in the Hereafter.

The call might be small: a sick relative, a fundraising night, a friend who needs you at the hospital at midnight. Some people find reasons; some people just show up. The verse calls the ones who show up successful.

Showing up costs me too much.

Giving what I have when called is what success looks like.

Try this

Say yes today to one request for help you would normally decline.

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

But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove hard and fought with their wealth and their lives. Such are they for whom are the good things, and it is they who will be successful (88)For them Allah has prepared Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success (89)

After Allah mentioned the sins of the hypocrites, He praised the faithful believers and described their reward in the Hereafter,

لَٰكِنِ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ جَاهَدُوا

(But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove hard and fought) until the end of these two Ayat [9:88-89]. This describes the qualities, as well as, the reward of faithful believers. Allah said,

وَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْخَيْرَاتُ

(Such are they for whom are the good things), in the Hereafter, in the gardens of Al-Firdaws and the high grades.