قَوْم — Originally a Group of Men
قَوْم today means a people or a nation, including both men and women. Its original meaning, however, was a group of men, without women — and the Quran and classical poetry preserve that sense.
Meaning and Origin
Why Men Are Called قَوْم
قَوْم carries the meaning of قِيَام — standing (to a task). Men were called قَوْم because they were responsible for the important and difficult matters: war, trade, and so on. This definition comes from a very old, excellent dictionary.
No Singular of Its Own
قَوْم is grammatically singular but always carries a plural meaning. There is no singular from the same word; a different word is used to refer to one.
Examples from the Quran
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ (al-Ḥujurāt 11)
قَوْم stands opposite نِسَاء — so here it means men. (This does not mean men may mock women or vice versa; it is simply how Allah has phrased it.)
اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِن بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ (Yūsuf 9)
From Poetry — Zuhayr's Taunt
وَمَا أَدْرِي وَسَوْفَ إِخَالُ أَدْرِي ⁂ أَقَوْمٌ آلُ حِصْنٍ أَمْ نِسَاءُ
"I do not know — and I don't think I will ever know — are the people of Ḥiṣn men, or women?"
حِصْن is a fort (cf. the book حِصْنُ المُسْلِم). The line taunts an enemy hiding in their fort instead of fighting. Again قَوْم contrasts with نِسَاء. The teacher attributed the line to Zuhayr ibn Abī Sulmā, unsure of the poem. On إِخَالُ, see إِخَالُ — The Banū Asad Kasrah.
Session References
- Surah Yusuf Session 11: قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ in Āyah 9; original meaning of men only; al-Ḥujurāt 11 and Zuhayr's line contrasting قَوْم with نِسَاء; link to قِيَام.