Al Islam

b. 27:51, 52. (close)

b. 27: 51-52. (close)

4843. Commentary:

How Abraha was foiled in his design is writ large on the pages of history. (close)

3437. According to some authorities Ababil is the plural of Ibbaul which means, a separate or distinct portion of a number of birds or horses or camels following one another. The words, Tairan Ababil, means, birds in separate flocks or bevies, or birds in companies from this or that quarter, or following one another, flock after flock (Lane). (close)

4844. Important Words:

أبابیل (swarms): the word is said to have no singular. According to some its singular is أبول which means, a separate or distinct portion of a number of birds or horses or camels following one another. أبابیل signifies, according to some, a company in a state of dispersion, or dispersed companies following one another, or distinct or separate companies like camels. They say جاءت ابلک أبابیل i.e. thy camels came in distinct or separate companies. طیر أبابیل means, birds in separate flocks or bevies, or birds in companies from this or that quarter, or following one another, flock after flock (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

See Introduction. (close)

3438. Swarms of birds feasted themselves upon dead bodies of the invaders, striking the severed pieces against stones, as birds generally do when eating the small and severed pieces of the dead body of an animal; the particle ba meaning ‘ala, i.e. upon or against (Lane). (close)

4845. Important Words:

ب (against). Among a variety meanings, this particle is syn. with علی meaning, over, upon, at, or against. An Arab poet says:

أ رب یبول الثعلبان برأسه

لقد ھان من بالت علیه الثعالب

i.e. how can he be رب (Lord) upon whose head jackals make water and how base he is (Al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir, vol. 1).

In the Quran we have منھم من ان تأمنه بدینار i.e. "of them is he that if thou give him charge over a dinar (3:76)."

Commentary:

Swarms of birds feasted themselves upon dead bodies of the invaders, striking the severed pieces against stones, as birds generally do when eating the small and severed pieces of the dead body of an animal. (close)