Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

evealed to His Messenger. But God is All-knowing, Wise.” (Verse 97)This description outlines a constant characteristic of desert and nomadic people, orbedouins. It is in their nature that they should be more tenacious in their unbeliefand hypocrisy, and that they should be ignorant of God’s directives as He revealsthese to His Messenger. Their ignorance stems from their life circumstances and theway these affect them. Thus they grow up rather hostile, having little knowledge andless inclination to abide by rules and regulations, developing a strongly materialisticoutlook. Faith modifies their nature, elevates their values and brings them to a widerand more sublime horizon.There are countless reports which mention the bedouin’s lack of refinement. IbnKathīr mentions some of these in his commentary on the Qur’ān:A bedouin attended the circle of Zayd ibn Şūĥān, a scholar who had a handinjured in the Battle of Nihāwand. 34 The bedouin said to him: “What you sayis admirable, but your hand makes me worried.” Zayd said: “What worriesyou about my hand? It is my left hand anyway.” The bedouin said: “I am notsure which hand they cut, the right or the left.” [He was referring to thepunishment for theft which implied his suspicion that this respected scholarmight have been punished for stealing.] Zayd said: “God certainly tells thetruth, and so does His Messenger: “The desert Arabs are more tenacious inunbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the ordinances which Godhas revealed to His Messenger.” (Verse 97)Imām Aĥmad relates on the authority of Ibn `Abbās that the Prophet said:“Whoever lives in the desert develops a rough edge, and whoever chasesgame loses concentration, and whoever attends rulers may yield totemptation.” Because desert people are rough, God has not selected HisMessengers from among them. Prophets have always been chosen fromamong city dwellers: “We have only sent before you men from among city dwellersto whom We send down Our revelations.” (12: 109)When a bedouin gave a present to the Prophet, the Prophet gave him back amuch more valuable gift so that he was well pleased. He then said: “I feel Ishould not accept any gift unless it comes from a man from the Quraysh,Thaqīf, the Anşār or the Daws.” Needless to say that these were far moregentle in character and behaviour, because they were the dwellers of the maincentres in Arabia at the time, Makkah, Ţā’if, Madinah and in Yemenrespectively.34 The Battle of Nihāwand was a major battle the Muslims fought against the Persian Empire only afew years after the Prophet had passed away.186