O Ye who believe! fear Allah, and be with the truthful. 119 It was not proper for the people of Madinah and those desert Arabs around them to hold back from following God's Messenger, and to prefer their own lives to his life. This is because whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger for God's cause, and whenever they take any step which provokes those who deny the truth, or inflicts any loss upon the enemy, it shall be counted as a good deed in the sight of God, God will not deny the righteous their reward, 120 Nor do they spend anything (in Allah's Cause) - small or great - nor cross a valley, but is written to their credit, that Allah may recompense them with the best of what they used to do (i.e. Allah will reward their good deeds according to the reward of their best deeds which they did in the most perfect manner). 121 ۞ 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. 122