كتب

كِتَابٌ ذ [inf. n. of 1, q. v. ― -b2- as a subst.,] A thing in which, or on which, one writes: [ a book: ] a written piece of paper or [ a record, or register; and a written mandate; ] of skin: (K:) a writing, or writ, or thing written; as also ↓ كَتِيبَةٌ: and both are applied also to the revelation from above: and to a letter, or epistle, which a person writes and sends: sometimes made fem., as meaning صَحِيفَةٌ: AA says, I heard an Arab of the desert, of El-Yemen, say, فُلَانٌ لَغُوبٌ جَاآءَتْهُ كِتَابِى فَا@حْتَقَرَهَا Such a one is stupid: my letter came to him, and he despised it: so I said, Dost thou say, جاءته كتابى? and he replied, Is it not a صحيفة? (Msb.) Pl. كُتُبٌ and كُتْبٌ. (S.) ― -b3- A revealed scripture. (Msb.) [Whence أَهْلُ كِتَابٍ People having a revealed scripture: and أَهْلُ الكِتَابِ The people of the Bible. See also أَهْلٌ.] الكتاب signifies The تَوْراة, or Pentateuch, or Mosaic Law: (K:) and the Gospel, or Book of the Gospels: the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians: (Expositions of the Kur, passim:) and the Kur-án. (TA.) ― -b4- See also 3. -A2- كِتَابٌ [inf. n., or subst.: see 1] Divine prescript, appointment, or ordinance: judgment, or sentence: fatal decree, or predestination. (S, K.) لَأَقْضِيَنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا بِكِتَابِ اللّٰهِ I will assuredly determine, or judge, between you two according to the judgment, or sentence, of God, which hath been revealed in his book. A trad., not relating to the Kur-án. (TA.) El-Jaadee says, يَا ا@بْنَةَ عَمِّى كِتَابُ اللّٰهِ أَخْرَجَنِى عَنْكُمْ وَهَلْ أَمْنَفَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَا فَعَلَا [ O daughter of my paternal uncle! the decree of God hath expelled me from you: and could I indeed forbid God to do what He hath done? ] (S.) [Hence,] الكِتَابُ الأَوَّلُ [ The first writing; meaning the register of God's decrees ]. (M and K voce مَحْبَلٌ, q. v.) ― -b2- A receptacle for ink. (K).