a-r-b

Description

The Arabic root أرب (a-r-b) carries the core semantic meaning of need, desire, or purpose. In the Quran, it appears in forms like إرب (irib) meaning a specific need or physical desire, and أولي الإربة (uli al-irba) referring to those having no physical desires, specifically used in Surah An-Nur (24:31) to describe male servants who lack sexual desire toward women. This root is significant in Quranic legislation as it helps define categories of people from whom women need not observe strict hijab requirements, distinguishing between those who pose potential temptation and those who do not due to their lack of physical need or desire.