In modern Arabic, there is a distinction between the words Arab ( عرب) and A’rab ( أَعْرَاب), where the former means Arabs and the latter implies Bedouins. Interestingly, the Quran does not use the term Arab ( ٱلْعْرَب) but only the term Aʿrab ( ٱلْأَعْرَاب). This is because the Quran does not recognize a group known as Arabs ( ٱلْعْرَب), nor make the distinction found in modern Arabic that A’arab ( أَعْرَاب) means exclusively Bedouins.
The word is used ten times in the Quran.
Let’s examine these verses and see if the term is only about the Bedouins or all Arabs.
#1
In this first example, we see that among the A’rabs, there were individuals seeking to stay behind the messenger and not participate in battle. It would not make sense to assume that it was only among the Bedouins who desired to remain behind from mobilizing and that the rest of the Arabs had no reservations.
9:90 The Arabs made up excuses, and came to you seeking permission to stay behind. This is indicative of their rejection of GOD and His messenger—they stay behind. Indeed, those who disbelieve among them have incurred a painful retribution.
The next set of verses shows that among the A’rabs, some were the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, as well as some of the best believers. This again shows that the A’rabs encompass the entire community the messenger was sent to and not just the Bedouins. We also see that it indicates that the Muhãjerin and Ansãr were part of the group of A’rabs who did believe in God and the Last Day. Again, this shows that the Quran uses the term A’rab towards all Arab people and not exclusively for Bedouins.
9:97 The Arabs are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and the most likely to ignore the laws that GOD has revealed to His messenger. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
9:98 Some of the Arabs consider their spending (in the cause of God) to be a loss, and even wait in anticipation that a disaster may hit you. It is they who will incur the worst disaster. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.
9:99 Other Arabs do believe in GOD and the Last Day, and consider their spending to be a means towards GOD, and a means of supporting the messenger. Indeed, it will bring them nearer; GOD will admit them into His mercy. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
9:100 As for the early vanguards who immigrated ( Muhãjerin), and the supporters who gave them refuge ( Ansãr) and those who followed them in righteousness, GOD is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens with flowing streams, wherein they abide forever. This is the greatest triumph.
The next occurrence of the word A’rab used in the Quran occurs in the following verse which indicates that the people the prophet was sent to can be split into a larger group known as Arabs ( ٱلْأَعْرَابِ), and within that group, a subset, which were the people of the city ( ahli l-madīnati / أَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ). It is worth noting that the term in Arabic for ‘city’ is Medina ( مدينة), which is where the prophet resided after Hijra. Therefore, a subset of the Arabs ( ٱلْأَعْرَابِ) were the ones living in Medina with the prophet (the city dwellers). Or put another way, if they were within the city, they were city-dwelling Arabs, but if they were outside the city, they were Arabs. This will be further reinforced in the following two use cases.
9:101 Among the Arabs around you, there are hypocrites. Also, among the city dwellers, there are those who are accustomed to hypocrisy. You do not know them, but we know them. We will double the retribution for them, then they end up committed to a terrible retribution.
The next occurrence reinforces this understanding that among all the people to whom the prophet gave the message, the broader group was known as the A’rabs, and within the A’rabs were the city dwellers, the people of Medina. Even the terminology shows a topology where the city dwellers are a subset of the Arabs.
9:120 Neither the dwellers of the city, nor the Arabs around them, shall seek to stay behind the messenger of GOD (when he mobilizes for war). Nor shall they give priority to their own affairs over supporting him. This is because they do not suffer any thirst, or any effort, or hunger in the cause of GOD, or make a single step that enrages the disbelievers, or inflict any hardship upon the enemy, without having it written down for them as a credit. GOD never fails to recompense those who work righteousness.
In the next occurrence, we see that the A’rab is used with the term ‘desert’ ( bādūna / بَادُونَ) to insinuate bedouins. If the term A’rab was sufficient to imply a bedouin, then it wouldn’t have been necessary to include the word desert in conjunction. This also shows that the term for bedouin, according to the Quran, would not be A’rab but would have been badawi ( بدوي), which would be derived from the same root as bādūna ( بَادُونَ).
33:20 They thought that the parties might come back. In that case, they would wish that they were living in the desert among the Arabs, asking about your news from afar. Had the parties attacked you while they were with you, they would rarely support you.
In the eighth and ninth occurrences, we again see statements made by Arabs as a whole that would not be limited only to the Bedouins but anyone among the prophet.
48:11 The sedentary Arabs who stay behind will say, “We have been preoccupied with our money and our families, so ask forgiveness for us!” They utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say, “Who can protect you from GOD, if He willed any adversity for you, or if He willed any blessing for you?” GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
48:16 Say to the sedentary Arabs who stay behind, “You will be invited to face powerful people and to fight them, unless they submit. If you obey, GOD will reward you with a generous recompense. But if you turn away again, as you did in the past, He will requite you with a painful retribution.”
49:14 The Arabs said, “We are Mu’mens (believers).” Say, “You have not believed; what you should say is, ‘We are Muslims (submitters),’ until belief is established in your hearts.” If you obey GOD and His messenger, He will not put any of your works to waste. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Now that we have seen that the Quran uses the term Aʿrab ( ٱلْأَعْرَاب) for all Arabs and does not use the term Arab ( ٱلْعْرَب), one has to ask what is the motivation for the Arabs to want to differentiate themselves from their roots.
One reason may be that the Quran does not speak kindly in some verses regarding some of the Arabs, stating that they are the worst in hypocrisy and disbelief (9:97-98, 101) and eager to stay behind the messenger by not mobilizing when commanded (9:120).
Even among the Hadith corpus, it makes the A’rabs unsophisticated, uneducated, argumentative simpletons.
Hadith Disparaging Bedouins
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) saw a bedouin urinating in the mosque and told the people not to disturb him. When he finished, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked for some water and poured it over (the urine).
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى أَعْرَابِيًّا يَبُولُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ “ دَعُوهُ ”. حَتَّى إِذَا فَرَغَ دَعَا بِمَاءٍ فَصَبَّهُ عَلَيْهِ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 219
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:219
Ibn Dinar reported that a desert Arab met Abdullah b. ‘Umar on the way to Mecca. ‘Abdullah greeted him and mounted him upon the donkey on which he had been riding and gave him the turban that he had on his head. Ibn Dinar (further) reported: We said to him (‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar): May Allah do good to you, these are Bedouins and they are satisfied even with meager (things). Thereupon Abdullah said: His father was loved dearly by ‘Umar b. Khattib and I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The finest act of goodness on the part of a son is to treat kindly the loved ones of his father.
Sahih Muslim 2552a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2552a
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: A bedouin gave the Pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) for Islam. Then the bedouin got fever at Medina, came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Cancel my Pledge,” But Allah’s Apostle refused. Then he came to him (again) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Cancel my Pledge.” But the Prophet (ﷺ) refused. Then he came to him (again) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Cancel my Pledge.” But the Prophet (ﷺ) refused. The bedouin finally went out (of Medina) whereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): It expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ،. أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا ، بَايَعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ فَأَصَابَ الأَعْرَابِيَّ وَعْكٌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، فَأَتَى الأَعْرَابِيُّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَقِلْنِي بَيْعَتِي، فَأَبَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ فَقَالَ أَقِلْنِي بَيْعَتِي فَأَبَى، ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ فَقَالَ أَقِلْنِي بَيْعَتِي فَأَبَى فَخَرَجَ الأَ عْرَابِيُّ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِنَّمَا الْمَدِينَةُ كَالْكِيرِ تَنْفِي خَبَثَهَا وَيَنْصَعُ طِيبُهَا ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7211
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7211
The Worst Traits belong to the Bedouins
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “ Pride and arrogance are characteristics of the bedouins while calmness is found among the owners of sheep. Belief is Yemenite, and wisdom is also Yemenite i.e. the Yemenites are well-known for their true belief and wisdom).” Abu Abdullah (Al-Bukhari) said, “Yemen was called so because it is situated to the right of the Kaba, and Sham was called so because it is situated to the left of the Ka`ba.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ الْفَخْرُ وَالْخُيَلاَءُ فِي الْفَدَّادِينَ أَهْلِ الْوَبَرِ ، وَالسَّكِينَةُ فِي أَهْلِ الْغَنَمِ، وَالإِيمَانُ يَمَانٍ، وَالْحِكْمَةُ يَمَانِيَةٌ ”. سُمِّيَتِ الْيَمَنَ لأَنَّهَا عَنْ يَمِينِ الْكَعْبَةِ، وَالشَّأْمَ عَنْ يَسَارِ الْكَعْبَةِ، وَالْمَشْأَمَةُ الْمَيْسَرَةُ، وَالْيَدُ الْيُسْرَى الشُّؤْمَى، وَالْجَانِبُ الأَيْسَرُ الأَشْأَمُ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3499
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3499
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “ The head (or summit) of disbelief lies towards the east and the pride and arrogance lie in people who possess horses and camels who are also coarse – the bedouins. Tranquillity lies in people who possess sheep.”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 574
https://sunnah.com/adab:574
See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:52d
Narrated Abi Masud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “From this side from the east, afflictions will appear. Rudeness and lack of mercy are characteristics of the people of the tent (bedouins) who are busy with their camels and cows (and pay no attention to religion). Such are the tribes of Rabia and Mudar.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 3602
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3602
TRADE BETWEEN CITY DWELLER AND BEDOUINs Prohibited
Narrated Jabir: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “ The dweller of the city is not to sell for the Bedouin, leave the people; Allah provides for some of them through others.”
[Abu ‘Eisa said:] The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is a Hasan Sahih Hadith, and this Hadith of Jabir is a Hasan Sahih Hadith as well. This Hadith is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) and others. They dislike the dweller of the town to sell for the Bedouin, while some of them permitted the town dweller to purchase for the Bedouin. Ash-Shafi’i said: “It is disliked for the dweller of the town to sell for the Bedouin, and if he does sell, then the sale is permissible.
Narrated Uncle of Umarah ibn Khuzaymah: The Prophet (ﷺ) bought a horse from a Bedouin. The Prophet (ﷺ) took him with him to pay him the price of his horse. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked quickly and the Bedouin walked slowly. The people stopped the Bedouin and began to bargain with him for the horse as and they did not know that the Prophet (ﷺ) had bought it. The Bedouin called the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: If you want this horse, (then buy it), otherwise I shall sell it. The Prophet (ﷺ) stopped when he heard the call of the Bedouin, and said: Have I not bought it from you? The Bedouin said: I swear by Allah, I have not sold it to you. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Yes, I have bought it from you. The Bedouin began to say: Bring a witness. Khuzaymah ibn Thabit then said: I bear witness that you have bought it. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned to Khuzaymah and said: On what (grounds) do you bear witness? He said: By considering you trustworthy, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! The Prophet (ﷺ) made the witness of Khuzaymah equivalent to the witness of two people.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ، أَنَّ الْحَكَمَ بْنَ نَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَهُمْ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ، أَنَّ عَمَّهُ، حَدَّثَهُ وَهُوَ، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ابْتَاعَ فَرَسًا مِنْ أَعْرَابِيٍّ فَاسْتَتْبَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيَقْضِيَهُ ثَمَنَ فَرَسِهِ فَأَسْرَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَشْىَ وَأَبْطَأَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ فَطَفِقَ رِجَالٌ يَعْتَرِضُونَ الأَ عْرَابِيَّ فَيُسَاوِمُونَهُ بِالْفَرَسِ وَلاَ يَشْعُرُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ابْتَاعَهُ فَنَادَى الأَعْرَابِيُّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُبْتَاعًا هَذَا الْفَرَسَ وَإِلاَّ بِعْتُهُ . فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ سَمِعَ نِدَاءَ الأَعْرَابِيِّ فَقَالَ ” أَوَلَيْسَ قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهُ مِنْكَ ” . فَقَالَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا بِعْتُكَهُ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” بَلَى قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهُ مِنْكَ ” . فَطَفِقَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ يَقُولُ هَلُمَّ شَهِيدًا . فَقَالَ خُزَيْمَةُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَدْ بَايَعْتَهُ . فَأَقْبَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى خُزَيْمَةَ فَقَالَ ” بِمَ تَشْهَدُ ” . فَقَالَ بِتَصْدِيقِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَهَادَةَ خُزَيْمَةَ بِشَهَادَةِ رَجُلَيْنِ .
Sunan Abi Dawud 3607
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3607
Narrated Abu Hurairah: “A man from Banu Fazarah gave a gift to the Prophet (ﷺ) of she-camel from his camels which they had taken at Al-Ghabah. So he reciprocated for it with something in return, but he was upset with it. So I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), upon [this] Minbar saying: ‘ Indeed one of the men from the Bedouins gave me a gift so I reciprocated for it to the extent of what I had. Then he became very upset with me. By Allah! After my experience with this Bedouin man, I shall not accept a gift from anyone except from a Quraishi, Ansari, Thaqafi, or Dawsi. ‘”
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that: A Bedouin urinated in the mosque, and some of the people rushed at him. The Messenger of Allah said: “Do not interrupt him.” Then he called for a bucket of water and poured it over (the urine).
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، أَنْبَأَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا، بَالَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَوَثَبَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ لاَ تُزْرِمُوهُ ” . ثُمَّ دَعَا بِدَلْوٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِ .
Sunan Ibn Majah 528
https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:528
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: A Bedouin entered the masjid and prayed two rak’ahs, then he said: “O Allah, have mercy on me and on Muhammad and do not have mercy on anyone else.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “You have limited something vast.”
Despite the attempt to differentiate Arabs from A’rabs and the repeated bashing of the A’rabs in the Hadith, one aspect that the history books and Hadith corpus acknowledge was that the A’rabs had the most in-depth knowledge of the vocabulary of the Quran. By this logic, this would imply that the prophet and the people of the prophet were A’rabs, and this differentiation between the A’rabs and Arabs was a later innovation.
In Shafi’i’s Risalah, it states on page 55 in the Arabic, and on page 23 of the translation by Joseph E. Lowry the following:
“Knoweldge of Arabic among the Bedouins is like knowledge of the Prophet’s Practice among legal scholars.”
According to the site Arabic for Nerds, it states:
“ The early works on grammar, as well as the first dictionaries, were very much based on the spoken Arabic of Bedouins. The grammarians regarded the Bedouin as the true speaker of Arabic...It is related that Caliphs, who wanted their sons to speak impeccable Arabic, had sent their sons into the desert to the Bedouins. “
Additionally, the Quran informs us that it was sent down in the perfect Arabic tongue.
12:2 We have revealed it an Arabic Quran, that you may understand.
And messengers are selected from among their own people and preach in the tongue of their people.
14:4 We did not send any messenger except (to preach) in the tongue of his people, in order to clarify things for them. GOD then sends astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. He is the Almighty, the Most Wise.