A Critical Examination of Arab Jāhiliyyah and Its Relationship to Juristic Understanding of Religion, with Emphasis on the Narration “ʿAlaykum bi-l-tafaqquh fī dīn Allāh wa lā takūnū aʿrāban”

Abstract

Undoubtedly, combating jāhiliyyah and safeguarding Muslims from pre-Islamic cultural patterns constitute one of the most fundamental and foundational concerns of Islam. The Qur’an and the traditions of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) repeatedly and through various modes exhort believers to live in accordance with knowledge and rational reflection. One such instance is the designation of an individual as aʿrābī when he or she fails to engage in deep reflection and juristic understanding (tafaqquh) of the divine religion. Although substantial and valuable research has been conducted on the dimensions of tafaqquh fī al-dīn and the acquisition of religious knowledge, relatively little attention has been paid to the rationale behind the use of the term aʿrābī in the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), particularly in hadith expressions such as “Whoever among you does not attain juristic understanding, he is an aʿrābī,” reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him). This study employs a descriptive–analytical method, drawing upon commentaries on these narrations as well as the perspectives of exegetes and Qur’anic scholars, to examine the intended equivalence between becoming aʿrābī and the absence of juristic understanding of religion, with particular emphasis on the narration “ʿAlaykum bi-l-tafaqquh fī dīn Allāh wa lā takūnū aʿrāban.” An analysis of Qur’anic and hadith-based data on the subject demonstrates that the Ahl al-Bayt’s (peace be upon them) use of the term aʿrābī in this context is, on the one hand, directly related to the ignorance and lack of awareness characteristic of the Bedouin Arabs, who were largely unfamiliar with sound religious culture, and, on the other hand, indicative of the principal cause of this ignorance—namely, the failure to recognize the Prophet and the Infallible Imams as divinely inspired scholars and bearers of sacred knowledge. It appears that, through such statements, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) sought not only to emphasize the importance of correct and methodical juristic understanding of religion, but also to underscore their own scientific authority and their pivotal role in guiding both individuals and society toward perfection.