Surah At-Tawbah (9): Verses 97-98

Know that this verse indicates the correctness of what we mentioned previously: that Allah (Exalted is He) repeated these rulings because the intent was to address the hypocrites among the Bedouins. For this reason, it is clarified that their disbelief and hypocrisy are more severe, and their ignorance regarding the limits of what Allah revealed is more complete. There are several issues in the verse:

Issue 1: The Distinction Between ‘Arab and A‘rābī

Linguists state that:

• A person is called ‘Arabī (عربي) if his lineage is among the Arabs, and the plural is al-‘Arab (العرب). This is similar to Majūsī (Magian) and Yahūdī (Jew), where the yā’ of attribution is dropped in the plural, resulting in al-Majūs and al-Yahūd.
• A person is called A‘rābī (أعرابي), with an alif, if he is a desert dweller (bādwī), seeking rainfall and pasture, whether he is of Arab lineage or a freedman (mawālī) of the Arabs. The plural of A‘rābī is al-A‘rāb (الأعراب) and al-A‘ārīb (الأعاريب).
• If an A‘rābī is called Yā ‘Arabī, he rejoices. If an ‘Arabī is called Yā A‘rābī, he becomes angry.
• Therefore, those who settle in Arab villages are considered ‘Arab, while those who dwell in the desert are A‘rāb.

The evidence for this distinction is manifold:

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Love for the Arabs is part of faith," whereas Allah has condemned the A‘rāb in this verse.
2. It is not permissible to call the Muhājirūn (Emigrants) and the Anṣār (Helpers) A‘rāb; they are Arabs and hold higher ranks in religion than the A‘rāb. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A woman should not lead a man [in prayer], nor should a sinner lead a believer, nor should an A‘rābī lead a Muhājir."
3. It is said that the Arabs were named ‘Arab because the descendants of Ishmael settled in ‘Araba, a place in Tihāmah. They were thus attributed to their land, and everyone who inhabits the Arabian Peninsula and speaks their language is considered one of them, as they originated from the progeny of Ishmael.
4. Another view is that they were named ‘Arab because their tongues clearly express what is in their inner selves (mu‘ribah ‘ammā fī ḍamā’irihim). There is no doubt that the Arabic language possesses unique eloquence and majesty not found in other tongues.

I have seen in some books, attributed to certain wise men, that:

• The wisdom of the Romans lies in their intellects, due to their capacity for marvelous constructions.
• The wisdom of the Indians lies in their imaginations.
• The wisdom of the Greeks (Yūnān) lies in their hearts, due to the abundance of their rational inquiries.
• The wisdom of the Arabs lies in their tongues, due to the sweetness of their words and the elegance of their expressions.

Issue 2: The Meaning of the Definite Plural (al-A‘rāb)

Some scholars of language say that the definite plural (with al- and the plural form) primarily refers back to a previously known, specific group. If no prior context exists, it is understood as generic (covering all) out of necessity. This is because the plural form is satisfied by three or more individuals. The alif and lām serve for definition. If a specific, previously known group exists, the term must refer to them. If not, it is taken generically to resolve ambiguity.

If this is established, we say: The statement {The Bedouins} (al-A‘rāb) refers to specific hypocrites among the Bedouins who were allied with the hypocrites of Medina; thus, the term is restricted to them.

Issue 3: The Two Rulings Passed Upon the A‘rāb

Allah ruled concerning the A‘rāb with two rulings:

The reasons for this severity are:

1. Desert dwellers resemble wild beasts.
2. The dominance of hot, dry air over them, which causes excessive stubbornness, arrogance, pride, boastfulness, and rashness.
3. They were not under the governance of a ruler, the discipline of a teacher, or the restraint of a controller, so they grew up as they pleased. Whoever grows up this way tends toward the most corrupt paths.
4. How could someone who witnesses the Prophet’s (PBUH) admonitions, clear explanations, and perfect teachings every morning and evening be equal to one who did not value this good or even hear of it?
5. Compare mountain fruits with orchard fruits to understand the difference between the people of the cities (aḥl al-ḥaḍar) and the people of the desert (aḥl al-bādiyah).

The word {more deserving} (ajdar) means "more fitting" or "more worthy." There is an omission in the verse; the meaning is: "And more deserving that they should not know."

Regarding the interpretation of {the limits of what Allah has revealed}:

• It means the measures of obligations and rulings.
• It means the ranks of the proofs for Divine Unity (Tawḥīd), Prophethood, and the Hereafter.

{Allah is All-Knowing} of what is in the hearts of His creation, {Wise} in what He has ordained as obligations.

Then He said: {And among the Bedouins are those who take what they spend as a fine/loss} (mughraman). Mughram is a maṣdar (verbal noun) like gharamah (a fine/penalty). The meaning is that some Bedouins believe that what they spend in the way of Allah is a penalty and a loss. They believe this because they spend only out of Taqiyyah (dissimulation) towards the Muslims or for show (riyā’), not for the sake of Allah or seeking His reward.

{And they await calamities for you} (wa yatarabbaṣu bikum ad-dawā’ir), meaning death and killing. They wait for the situation to turn against you upon the death of the Messenger, and for the polytheists to prevail over you. Then, He returned to address them: {Upon them shall be the calamity of evil} (‘alayhim dā’irat as-sū’).

Ad-Dā’irah (calamity/turn of fortune) can be singular, or it can be a prevailing attribute, used for a disaster that surrounds a person like a circle, from which there is no escape.

Regarding {as-sū’} (evil):

• Qur’an readers have two readings: with a fatḥa (A-sound) on the sīn or a ḍammah (U-sound).
• Al-Farra’ stated that the fatḥa is the correct reading because it is the maṣdar of sā’a yasū’u (to be bad), like sawā’ or masā’ah.
• Those who use the ḍammah treat sū’ as a noun, like saying dā’irat al-balā’ (calamity of affliction) or dā’irat al-‘adhāb (calamity of punishment). However, they cannot use the ḍammah in phrases like {Your father was not a man of evil} (19:28) or {and you harbored evil thoughts} (48:12), because that would imply "Your father was not a man of punishment" or "you harbored thoughts of punishment," which is clearly impermissible.
• Al-Akhfash and Abu ‘Ubayd said that those who use the fatḥa treat it like saying rajul sū’ (a bad man) or imra’ah sū’. Then alif and lām are added, resulting in rajul as-sū’. Al-Akhfash cited poetry supporting this.
• Those who use the ḍammah intend as-sū’ to mean harm, evil, affliction, and what is disliked, as if it means: "Upon them is the calamity of defeat and dislike, and that shall befall them."
• Abu ‘Alī al-Fārisī noted that even if ad-dā’irah were not specified with as-sū’, the meaning of evil would still be understood, because the "turn of fate" (dā’irat ad-dahr) is only used in connection with something disliked.

Knowing this, the meaning is: Calamity and sorrow revolve around them, and they see nothing in the Prophet (PBUH) and his religion except what displeases them.

Then He said: {And Allah is Hearing} of their speech, {All-Knowing} of their intentions.