At-Tawbah 9:97
The Repentance · Juz 11 · Page 202
ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفۡرٗا وَنِفَاقٗا وَأَجۡدَرُ أَلَّا يَعۡلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ٩٧
The bedouins are stronger in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely not to know the limits of what [laws] Allāh has revealed to His Messenger. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 9:97
Commentary
Described in the previous verses were the hypocrites of Madinah. The present verses mention hypocrites who lived on the desert around the outskirts of Madinah.
The word اَلاَعرَاب (al-a` rab) is not a plural form of اَلعَرَب (al-'arab). It is اِسم جمع (ism al jam`: collective noun) and is used for the Bedouins of the desert. In its singular form, it becomes اَلاَعرَابی (al-a` rabiyy) - similar to (al-ansariyy), the singular form of اَلاَنصَار (al-ansar).
According to their condition described in verse 97, they outdid city dwellers in disbelief and hypocrisy. The reason given is that these people generally remained ignorant and hard-hearted as they lived far away from knowledge and the knowledgeable. Then the text says: ` the Bedouins are more likely to be ignorant of the limits of what Allah has sent down.' It means that the very surroundings in which they live are such as would keep them in the dark about the limits set by Allah through the revelation - because the Qur'an does not come before them, nor do they have access to its meanings, explanations and injunctions.
Page 202
9:94
يَعۡتَذِرُونَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ إِذَا رَجَعۡتُمۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ قُل لَّا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكُمۡ قَدۡ نَبَّأَنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنۡ أَخۡبَارِكُمۡۚ وَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمۡ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٩٤
They will make excuses to you when you have returned to them. Say, "Make no excuse - never will we believe you. Allāh has already informed us of your news [i.e., affair]. And Allāh will observe your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger; then you will be taken back to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed,1 and He will inform you of what you used to do."
1 translator’s note
- See footnotes to 6:73. ↩
9:95
سَيَحۡلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمۡ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ لِتُعۡرِضُواْ عَنۡهُمۡۖ فَأَعۡرِضُواْ عَنۡهُمۡۖ إِنَّهُمۡ رِجۡسٞۖ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٩٥
They will swear by Allāh to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning.
9:96
يَحۡلِفُونَ لَكُمۡ لِتَرۡضَوۡاْ عَنۡهُمۡۖ فَإِن تَرۡضَوۡاْ عَنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرۡضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ ٩٦
They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allāh is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people.
9:97
ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفۡرٗا وَنِفَاقٗا وَأَجۡدَرُ أَلَّا يَعۡلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ٩٧
The bedouins are stronger in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely not to know the limits of what [laws] Allāh has revealed to His Messenger. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
9:98
وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغۡرَمٗا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآئِرَۚ عَلَيۡهِمۡ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوۡءِۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ ٩٨
And among the bedouins are some who consider what they spend as a loss1 and await for you turns of misfortune. Upon them will be a misfortune of evil. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a fine or penalty. ↩
9:99
وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مَن يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَٰتٍ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَصَلَوَٰتِ ٱلرَّسُولِۚ أَلَآ إِنَّهَا قُرۡبَةٞ لَّهُمۡۚ سَيُدۡخِلُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٩٩
But among the bedouins are some who believe in Allāh and the Last Day and consider what they spend as means of nearness to Allāh and of [obtaining] invocations of the Messenger. Unquestionably, it is a means of nearness for them. Allāh will admit them to His mercy. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.