9:99 At-Tawba (The Repentance)

وليس الأعراب كلهم مذمومين، بل منهم ‏{‏مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‏}‏ فيسلم بذلك من الكفر والنفاق ويعمل بمقتضى الإيمان‏.‏ ‏{‏وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنْفِقُ قُرُبَاتٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ يحتسب نفقته، ويقصد بها وجه اللّه تعالى والقرب منه و يجعلها وسيلة ل ـ ‏{‏صَلَوَاتِ الرَّسُولِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ دعائه لهم، وتبريكه عليهم، قال تعالى مبينا لنفع صلوات الرسول‏:‏ ‏{‏أَلَا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَهُمْ‏}‏ تقربهم إلى اللّه، وتنمي أموالهم وتحل فيها البركة‏.‏ ‏{‏سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ‏}‏ في جملة عباده الصالحين إنه غفور رحيم، فيغفر السيئات العظيمة لمن تاب إليه، ويعم عباده برحمته، التي وسعت كل شيء، ويخص عباده المؤمنين برحمة يوفقهم فيها إلى الخيرات، ويحميهم فيها من المخالفات، ويجزل لهم فيها أنواع المثوبات‏.‏ وفي هذه الآية دليل على أن الأعراب كأهل الحاضرة، منهم الممدوح ومنهم المذموم، فلم يذمهم اللّه على مجرد تعربهم وباديتهم، إنما ذمهم على ترك أوامر اللّه، وأنهم في مظنة ذلك‏.‏ ومنها‏:‏ أن الكفر والنفاق يزيد وينقص ويغلظ ويخف بحسب الأحوال‏.‏ ومنها‏:‏ فضيلة العلم، وأن فاقده أقرب إلى الشر ممن يعرفه، لأن اللّه ذم الأعراب، وأخبر أنهم أشد كفرا ونفاقا، وذكر السبب الموجب لذلك، وأنهم أجدر أن لا يعلموا حدود ما أنزل اللّه على رسوله‏.‏ ومنها‏:‏ أن العلم النافع الذي هو أنفع العلوم، معرفة حدود ما أنزل اللّه على رسوله، من أصول الدين وفروعه، كمعرفة حدود الإيمان، والإسلام، والإحسان، والتقوى، والفلاح، والطاعة، والبر، والصلة، والإحسان، والكفر، والنفاق، والفسوق، والعصيان، والزنا، والخمر، والربا، ونحو ذلك‏.‏ فإن في معرفتها يتمكن من فعلها ـ إن كانت مأمور بها، أو تركها إن كانت محظورة ـ ومن الأمر بها أو النهي عنها‏.‏ ومنها‏:‏ أنه ينبغي للمؤمن أن يؤدي ما عليه من الحقوق، منشرح الصدر، مطمئن النفس، ويحرص أن تكون مغنما، ولا تكون مغرمًا‏.‏

وقوله " ومن الأعراب من يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ويتخذ ما ينفق قربات عند الله وصلوات الرسول " هذا هو القسم الممدوح من الأعراب وهم الذين يتخذون ما ينفقون في سبيل الله قربة يتقربون بها عند الله ويبتغون دعاء الرسول لهم " ألا إنها قربة لهم " أي ألا إن ذلك حاصل لهم " سيدخلهم الله في رحمته إن الله غفور رحيم ".

The Bedouins are the Worst in Disbelief and Hypocrisy

Allah states that there are disbelievers, hypocrites and believers among the bedouins. He also states that the disbelief and hypocrisy of the bedouins is worse and deeper than the disbelief and hypocrisy of others. They are the most likely of being ignorant of the commandments that Allah has revealed to His Messenger . Al-A`mash narrated that Ibrahim said, "A bedouin man sat next to Zayd bin Sawhan while he was speaking to his friends. Zayd had lost his hand during the battle of Nahawand. The bedouin man said, `By Allah! I like your speech. However, your hand causes me suspicion.' Zayd said, `Why are you suspicious because of my hand, it is the left hand that is cut' The bedouin man said, `By Allah! I do not know which hand they cut off (for committing theft), is it the right or the left' Zayd bin Sawhan said, `Allah has said the truth,

الاٌّعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلاَّ يَعْلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ

(The bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to not know the limits which Allah has revealed to His Messenger.)" Imam Ahmad narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ سَكَنَ الْبَادِيَةَ جَفَا، وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ الصَّيْدَ غَفَلَ، وَمَنْ أَتَى السُّلْطَانَ افْتُتِن»

(He who lives in the desert becomes hard-hearted, he who follows the game becomes heedless, and he who associates with the rulers falls into Fitnah.) Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i collected this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib." The Prophet once had to give a bedouin man many gifts because of what he gave him as a gift, until the bedouin became satisfied. The Prophet said,

«لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ لَا أَقْبَلَ هَدِيَّةً إِلَّا مِنْ قُرَشِيَ أَوْ ثَقَفِيَ أَوْ أَنْصَارِيَ أَوْ دَوْسِي»

(I almost decided not to accept a gift except from someone from Quraysh, Thaqafi, the Ansar or Daws.) This is because these people lived in cities, Makkah, At- Ta'if, Al-Madinah and Yemen, and therefore, their conduct and manners are nicer than that of the hard-hearted bedouins. Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.) Allah knows those who deserve to be taught faith and knowledge, He wisely distributes knowledge or ignorance, faith or disbelief and hypocrisy between His servants. He is never questioned as to what He does, for He is the All-Knower, All-Wise. Allah also said that among bedouins are those,

مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ

(who look upon what they spend), in the cause of Allah,

مَغْرَمًا

(as a fine), as a loss and a burden,

وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَائِرَ

(and watch for calamities for you), awaiting afflictions and disasters to strike you,

عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ السَّوْءِ

(on them be the calamity of evil), evil will touch them instead,

وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) Allah hears the invocation of His servants and knows who deserves victory, who deserve failure. Allah's said;

وَمِنَ الاٌّعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَـتٍ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوَتِ الرَّسُولِ

(And of the bedouins there are some who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and look upon what they spend (in Allah's cause) as means of nearness to Allah, and a cause of receiving the Messenger's invocations.) This is the type of praiseworthy bedouins. They give charity in Allah's cause as way of achieving nearness to Allah and seeking the Messenger's invocation for their benefit,

أَلا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ

(Indeed these are a means of nearness for them.) they will attain what they sought,

سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(Allah will admit them to His mercy. Certainly Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

And of the Bedouins there is he who believes in God and the Last Day such as men from among the tribes of Juhayna and Muzayna and takes what he expends in the way of God as pious offerings to bring him nearer to God and as a means to secure the prayers the supplications of the Messenger for him. Surely these the expenditure of such men will bring them nearer read qurubatun or qurbatun to Him. God will admit them into His mercy His Paradise. Truly God is Forgiving to those who obey Him Merciful to them.

After having described the state of affairs prevailing among hypocrites of distant deserts, it was considered appropriate that the true and staunch Muslims from among the same stock of Bedouins should also be mentioned. This was done in verse 99 - very much in line with the typical style of the Qur'an - so that, it stands established that Bedouins too are not all alike. Among them, there are many sincere Muslims, and people of sense and discernment as well. Their style of life is different. When they give in obligatory alms (Zakah) or in voluntary charities (Sadaqat), they regard these as a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala and hope that the Holy Prophet ﷺ would be praying for them.

That Sadaqat are a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala is obvious. However, the hope of prayers from the Holy Prophet ﷺ is on a different basis. It should be borne in mind that the Holy Qur'an - wherever it has asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ to collect Zakah on the wealth and property of Muslims - has also directed him that he should also pray for those who pay Zakah. The forthcoming verse (103): خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُ‌هُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah [ obligatory alms ] through which you may cleanse and purify them, and pray for them) is a good example? The instruction to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he should pray for these people has been termed: وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (and pray for them) using the word: صلٰوہ (salat) for it. Therefore, in the present verse as well, the sense of the prayers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been expressed by the use of the word: صلٰوہ (salat).