Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 97

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The Bedouins are often more strict in disbelief and hypocrisy, and are most likely to be ignorant of the limits of what Allah has sent down to His Messenger. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The nomadic Arabs ˹around Medina˺ are far worse in disbelief and hypocrisy, and less likely to know the laws revealed by Allah to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The Bedouins are worse in disbelief and hypocrisy, and less likely to know the limits sent down by Allah to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

A. J. Arberry

The Bedouins are more stubborn in unbelief and hypocrisy, and apter not to know the bounds of what God has sent down on His Messenger; and God is All-knowing, All-wise.

Abdul Haleem

The desert Arabs are the most stubborn of all peoples in their disbelief and hypocrisy. They are the least likely to recognize the limits that God has sent down to His Messenger. God is all knowing and all wise.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

The dwellers of the desert are the hardest in infidelity and hypocrisy and likeliest not to know the ordinances of that which Allah hath sent down unto His apostle. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Arabs of the desert are the worst in Unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger; But Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise.

Abul Ala Maududi

The bedouin Arabs surpass all in unbelief and hypocrisy and are most likely to be unaware of the limits prescribed by Allah in what He has revealed to His Messenger. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Ahmed Ali

The village Arabs are more obstinate in disbelief and hypocrisy, and impervious to ordinances revealed to His Apostle by God; yet God is aware of everything and is wise.

Ahmed Raza Khan

The ignorant are more severe in disbelief and hypocrisy, and deserve to remain ignorant of the commands which Allah has revealed to His Noble Messenger; and Allah is All Knowing, Wise.

Ali Quli Qarai

The Bedouins are more obdurate in unfaith and hypocrisy, and more apt to be ignorant of the precepts that Allah has sent down to His Apostle, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.

Ali Ünal

The Bedouin Arabs are (by nature) more stubborn in unbelief and hypocrisy (than the city-dwellers), and more liable to be unaware of the bounds prescribed by God in what He has sent down on His Messenger. God is All-Knowing (of the nature and state of His servants), All-Wise.

Amatul Rahman Omar

The (disbelievers among the) Arabs of the desert are the most stubborn in disbelief and hypocrisy and the most prone not to know the limits of (law) which Allâh has revealed to His Messenger. And Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

English Literal

The Arabs (are) stronger (in) disbelief and hypocrisy, and more worthy/suited that they not know129limits/boundaries/orders (of) what God descended on His messenger, and God (is) knowledgeable, wise/judicious.

Faridul Haque

The ignorant are more severe in disbelief and hypocrisy, and deserve to remain ignorant of the commands which Allah has revealed to His Noble Messenger; and Allah is All Knowing, Wise.

Hamid S. Aziz

The wandering Arabs of the desert are keener in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the limits that Allah has revealed unto His Messenger. Allah is Knower and Wise.

Hilali & Khan

The bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be in ignorance of the limits (Allah's Commandments and His Legal Laws, etc.) which Allah has revealed to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them. But if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

The dwellers of the desert are very hard in unbelief and hypocrisy, and more disposed not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Apostle; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The wandering Arabs are more hard in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the limits which Allah hath revealed unto His messenger. And Allah is Knower, Wise.

Muhammad Sarwar

The desert dwelling Arabs are far worse than the others in their disbelief and hypocrisy and have more reason to be ignorant of the revelations that God revealed to His Messenger. God is All-knowing and All-wise.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The Bedouin Arabs surpass (the city dwellers) in disbelief and hypocrisy, and are more likely not to know the bounds that Allah has sent down to His Messenger. But Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to not know the limits which Allah has revealed to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.

Wahiduddin Khan

The desert Arabs are more stubborn in their denial of truth and hypocrisy, and are the least likely to be aware of the limits which God has revealed to His Messenger. God is all knowing and wise.

Talal Itani

The Desert-Arabs are the most steeped in disbelief and hypocrisy, and the most likely to ignore the limits that God revealed to His Messenger. God is Knowing and Wise.

Tafsir jalalayn

The Bedouins, the [Arab] nomads, are more intense in unbelief and hypocrisy, than the city-dwellers, on account of their harshness and crude nature and their being too remote to hear the Qur'n, and are more likely not to know the bounds of what God has revealed to His Messenger, in the way of rulings and [legal] prescriptions; and God is Knower, of His creatures, Wise, in what He does with them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Bedouins are the Worst in Disbelief and Hypocrisy

Allah says;

الَاعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلاَّ يَعْلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ 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.

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,

الَاعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلاَّ يَعْلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ 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 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 إِلاَّ 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,

وَاللّهُ 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