The second term needing to be defined here is “Ta’arrub” [At-Ta’arrub] [التعرب].

2.1: Lexical Meaning

In classical Arabic, “Ta’arrub” refers to those who live as Bedouins1 in the desert away from civilisation.

Ta’raaba is a past tense verb that describes the action of the one who has moved to live with the Bedouins.

التعرب بعد الهجرة

2.2: Practical Meaning

At-Ta’arrub ba’dul Alhijrah التعرب بعد الهجرة is a phrase which means to return to a former, inferior state after migrating to a superior one. The term “Ta’arrub” is taken from the word “I’raab”, or Bedouins, who live in the deserts of ignorance away from civilisation, knowledge and religion, away from knowledge and in the deserts of ignorance and bewilderment.

In its practical application, At-Ta’arrub ba’dul Alhijrah is the return of a person who is now a Muslim to their former state of ignorance - as though they were returning to the backward and ignorant manners of the Bedouins in the deserts.

In other words, the meaning of “At-Ta’arrub” that is used in traditions is extrapolated from the regression of some Muslims from Islamic societies and governance to reside with ignorant Bedouins and adopt their etiquettes and manners. That is, they regress away from their own Islamic faith and theological understandings to adopt those of the Bedouins.

In the introductory stages of Islam it was obligatory to migrate to the land of the Prophet (S) in order to learn about religious duties and responsibilities. It was forbidden to remain in a non-Islamic nation if this caused an inability to uphold religious observations such as the prayers or fasting2.

In explaining the concept of Ta’arrub after migration some scholars have written the following3:

What is meant by Ta’arrub is to travel to countries in which the Muslims’ awareness of Islamic practices is reduced due to the distance in which one finds oneself away from centres that teach religious duties and obligations.

So, it is apparent that the meaning of the term “Al-Aarabi” is the one who is ignorant with regards to Islamic rulings. This is especially so because of the narrations that we have to help us define this term, and so it is not specific to those Bedouins who live in deserts nor to those who move to live with them, but a much wider definition, in which one may fall under the category of “Al-Aarabi”.

2.3: Ta’arrub in the Holy Qur’an And Narrations

The following are verses from the Holy Qur’an in which the term “Ta’arrub” has been used:

وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

And the Bedouins came with their excuses, asking for leave; those who lied to God and His Messenger tarried; there shall befall the unbelievers of them a painful chastisement. (Holy Qur’an, 9:90).

There are two identifiable groups of people that the above Ayah discusses:

A group who have genuine reasons for their inability to join the struggle, such as the lack of weapons or wealth: “And the Bedouins came with their excuses, asking for leave”4.

Another group who are not genuine, and find excuses in order to avoid the struggle: “those who lied to God and His Messenger tarried”.

The Ayah ends with a threat to the disbelievers belonging to the second group: “there shall befall the unbelievers of them a painful chastisement”5.

ٱلْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا۟ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

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. (Holy Qur’an, 9:97).

وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآئِرَ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Among the Bedouins are those who regard what they spend as a loss, and they watch for a reversal of your fortunes. Theirs shall be an adverse turn of fortune, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing. (Holy Qur’an, 9:98).

These verses warn that not only are there hypocrites amongst the Muslims within the cities, but rather, they are also amongst the Bedouins – and the Bedouins are even more stringent in their hypocrisy and disbelief. Their living further out from the centres of religious learning has led to a deeper level of hypocrisy and disbelief – “The Bedouins are more stubborn in unbelief and hypocrisy” - than their peers that live within the cities, and closer to those centres, “and more apt to be ignorant of the precepts that Allah has sent down to His Apostle”6.

The Bedouins also consider what they “spend in the way of Allah (SwT)” to be a loss, a tax, and a right that has been taken away from them: “Some of the Bedouins take what they expend for a fine and await the turns of fortune to go against you.” This shows the short sightedness of such people, and their stinginess in spending in the way of Allah (SwT). They wait in expectation for problems and calamities to reach others; but as the Ayah says – “Theirs shall be the evil turn”7.

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ

And some of the Bedouins who dwell around you are hypocrites; and some of the people of the City are grown bold in hypocrisy. Thou knowest them not; but We know them, and We shall chastise them twice, then they will be returned to a mighty chastisement. (Holy Qur’an, 9:101).

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَآ أَمْوَٰلُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًۢا بَلْ كَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۢا

The Bedouins who were left behind will say to thee, 'We were occupied by our possessions and our families; so ask forgiveness for us!' They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: 'Who can avail you aught against God, if He desires hurt for you, or desires profit for you? Nay, but God is ever aware of the things you do. (Holy Qur’an, 48:11).

قَالَتِ ٱلْأَعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوٓا۟ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَـٰلِكُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The Bedouins say, 'We believe.' Say: 'You do not believe; rather say, "We surrender"; for belief has not yet entered your hearts. If you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish you anything of your works. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' (Holy Qur’an, 49:14).

In the above Ayahs, it is not the Bedouins who are being vilified, but the loss of faith, the ignorance of religious laws, and the living in a place where it is not possible to fulfil our obligations to Allah (SwT). And so we find in some verses that Allah (SwT) praises the Bedouins who believed and had faith and acted upon the religious rulings. Those are the Bedouins that have earned Allah’s Mercy:

وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَـٰتٍ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَصَلَوَٰتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ أَلَآ إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

And some of the Bedouins believe in God and the Last Day, and take what they expend for offerings bringing them near to God, and the prayers of the Messenger. Surely they are an offering for them, and God will admit them into His mercy; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. (Holy Qur’an, 9:99).

And the Bedouins are given the choice to either obey Allah (SwT) and be rewarded or to turn their backs and be punished:

قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ تُقَـٰتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ فَإِن تُطِيعُوا۟ يُؤْتِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

Say to the Bedouins who were left behind: 'You shall be called against a people possessed of great might' to fight them, or they surrender. If you obey, God will give you a goodly wage; but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement.' (Holy Qur’an, 48:16).

The reality of “Ta’arrub” is the opposite of migration. “Ta’arrub is to regress in your pursuit of perfection, while migration is to progress towards that goal. Ta’arrub is to remain in the desert of ignorance, rather than move towards the city of knowledge. It is contentment with what

you have in this world, without considering what you will be missing in the hereafter.

There are many narrations from the Ahlul Bayt which point to the need to progress and not regress.

Jaaber Al Jaafy is said to have heard Imam As Sadiq (‘a) say: I heard Imam Baqir (‘a) say: “I love to continue doing good actions until it becomes habitual. And if it was missed at night it would be made up for during the day, and if it was missed in the day it would be made up for at night. Verily, the most loved of actions to Allah (SwT) are those that are done consistently, for deeds are presented every Thursday and the beginning of each month, and the deeds of the year are presented in the middle of the Month of Sha’baan. So, if you become accustomed to a good action, continue to do it for a year.8”

Imam Al-Kadhim (‘a) is said to have said the following:

ليس منا من لم يحاسب نفسه في كل يوم فإن عمل حسنا استزاد الله وإن عمل سيئا استغفر الله منه وتاب إليه

Not from us is the one that does not take account of their actions every day, and if they have done good they seek more of the same from Allah (SwT), and if they have done evil they seek forgiveness from Allah (SwT) and repent back to Him9.

There are many other narrations pointing to the need to continuously progress and move forward and not regress in development.

The opposite of this becomes ta’arrub.

It is obligatory upon a person to gain religious knowledge. Some of the great scholars have considered abandoning the pursuit of religious knowledge after spending time pursuing it, to be a form of Ta’arrub.

Sayyid Sistani in his first chapter of “Minhaj Al-Saliheen”, states:

It is obligatory to learn the jurisprudential issues that one encounters regularly, such as that of doubts and oversight in prayers, so that when one faces a situation in which there is an obligation upon them, they are aware of their obligations at the time in which they face it10.

From this, we can infer that it is obligatory upon a Muslim to learn about the issue of Hijra and Ta’arrub, and to understand their obligation to remain in, or move from, a particular place – depending on their circumstances.

Furthermore, if their obligation is to move, they must be knowledgeable about where they should be moving to.

These circumstances are dynamic in nature and change with time. A good and correct decision at one point in time is not necessarily the right decision for eternity – because times change, and choices need to be made according to the circumstances and opportunities of that particular time.

• 1. Al-Qamoos Al-Muheet القاموس المحيط
• 2. ‘At-Ta’arrub Badul Hijra - Series 14 for the Series of Repentance Week’.
• 3. ‘At-Ta’arrub Badul Hijra - Series 14 for the Series of Repentance Week’.
• 4. Reyshahri, Mizan Al-Hikmah. Vol. 5 p. 373.
• 5. Shirazi, Al-Amthal Fi Tafseer Kitab Allah Al-Munzal. Vol. 5 p. 321.
• 6. Shirazi, Al-Amthal Fi Tafseer Kitab Allah Al-Munzal. Vol. 5 p. 331.
• 7. Shirazi, Al-Amthal Fi Tafseer Kitab Allah Al-Munzal. Vol. 5 p. 331.
• 8. Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar. Vol. 84 p. 37.
• 9. al-Kulayni, Kitab Al-Kafi. Vol. 2 p. 453.
• 10. Sayyid Sistani, Minhaj Al-Saliheen. Vol 1. P. 10.