سبع

Root entry · 21 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the number seven and its multiples. It extends to concepts of completion, abundance, and the passage of time (a week). It also encompasses wild animals that prey on others, and in a more specific sense, the act of being the seventh or becoming seven.

Derived headwords

السَّبْعُ وَالسَّبْعَةُnoun

1.
sevenboth
The number seven, well-known as a cardinal number.
2.
seventyboth
The number seventy, the decade between sixty and eighty.

السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِيnoun

1.
the seven oft-repeatedclassical
A term referring to the opening chapter of the Quran (Al-Fatiha) due to its seven verses, or sometimes the longer chapters of the Quran.

سَبْعِينَnoun

1.
seventyboth
The number seventy, used to denote a large or multiplied quantity.

السُّبُوعُ وَالأُسْبُوعُnoun

1.
weekboth
A period of seven days; the term 'usbu'' is the more eloquent form.

سَبَّعَverb

1.
to stay seven nightsclassical
To stay with a wife for seven nights, as part of marital duties.
2.
to make sevenboth
To make something consist of seven parts or to multiply it by seven.
3.
to wash seven timesclassical
To wash an object seven times, as in ritual purification.

سَبَّعَ الرَّجُلُ عِنْدَ امْرَأَتِهِverb

1.
to stay seven nights with his wifeclassical
When a man stays with one of his wives for seven nights.

سَبَّعَ عِنْدَverb

1.
to stay seven nights withclassical
To spend seven nights with someone, often in the context of marital division of time.

أَسْبَعَverb

1.
to make sevenboth
To cause something to be seven or to become seven.
2.
to give birth after seven monthsclassical
For a woman to give birth to a child after seven months of pregnancy.
3.
to feed preyclassical
To feed prey to animals, or for animals to prey on livestock.

اسْتَبَعَverb

1.
to become sevenboth
To become a group of seven.

سَابِعٌadjective

1.
seventhboth
Ordinal number indicating the seventh position.

سَبَّاعِيٌّadjective

1.
sevenfoldboth
Relating to seven, or having seven parts.
2.
tall and largeclassical
Describing a camel or body that is exceptionally tall and large.

الْمُسَبَّعُnoun

1.
one with seven ancestorsclassical
A person of low lineage, having seven generations of enslaved or base ancestry.

السَّبْعُnoun

1.
predatorboth
A wild animal that has fangs and preys on people and animals, such as a lion, wolf, or leopard.

سِبَاعٌnoun

1.
predatorsboth
Plural of 'sab', referring to wild predatory animals.

السَّبْعَةُnoun

1.
lionessclassical
A female lion.

مَسْبُوعٌadjective

1.
preyed uponclassical
An animal whose young has been taken by a predator.

مَسْبَعَةٌadjective

1.
full of predatorsboth
A land or area infested with wild predatory animals.

تَسْبِيعٌnoun

1.
multiplication by sevenboth
The act of making something seven or multiplying it by seven; also used to denote abundance.

سَبَّعَ الْقُرْآنَverb

1.
to recite the Quran in seven nightsclassical
To complete the recitation of the entire Quran within a period of seven nights.

سَبْعٌ (بِضَمِّ الْبَاءِ)noun

1.
gathering placeclassical
A place of assembly or gathering, particularly for the Day of Judgment or a time of great tribulation.

السِّبَاعُnoun

1.
predatory birdsclassical
Birds of prey that hunt and kill other animals.

Parallel reading

السبع والسبعة من العدد: معروف

The seven and seven of the number: known.

وهو العقد الذي بين الستين والثمانين.

And it is the decade between sixty and eighty.

أوتيت السبع المثاني

I was given the seven oft-repeated.

قيل: هي الفاتحة لأنها سبع آيات

It was said: it is Al-Fatiha because it has seven verses.

إنه ليغان على قلبي حتى أستغفر الله في اليوم سبعين مرة

Indeed, my heart is covered, so I seek forgiveness from Allah seventy times a day.

والعرب تضعها موضع التضعيف والتكثير كقوله تعالى: كمثل حبة أنبتت سبع سنابل

And the Arabs use it in place of doubling and multiplying, as in His saying, the Almighty: Like a grain that produces seven ears of corn.

والسبوع والأسبوع من الأيام: تمام سبعة أيام.

And the subu' and the usbu' of the days: a complete seven days.

قال الليث: الأيام التي يدور عليها الزمان في كل سبعة منها جمعة تسمى الأسبوع ويجمع أسابيع

Al-Layth said: The days around which time revolves, in each seven of them a Friday is called the week, and its plural is 'asabi'.

ومن العرب من يقول سبوع في الأيام والطواف، بلا ألف، مأخوذة من عدد السبع، والكلام الفصيح الأسبوع.

And some Arabs say 'subu'' for days and circumambulation, without an alif, derived from the number seven, but the eloquent speech is 'al-usbu''.

للبكر سبع وللثيب ثلاث يجب على الزوج أن يعدل بين نسائه في القسم

For the virgin, seven [days] and for the previously married, three [days]; it is incumbent upon the husband to be just among his wives in the division [of time].

فإن تزوج عليهن بكرا أقام عندها سبعة أيام ولا يحسبها عليه نساؤه في القسم

If he marries a virgin on top of them, he stays with her seven days, and his wives do not count it against him in the division.

وقد سبع الرجل عند امرأته إذا أقام عندها سبع ليال.

And a man has completed seven [nights] with his wife if he stays with her for seven nights.

إن شئت سبعت عندك ثم سبعت عند سائر نسائي، وإن شئت ثلثت ثم درت لا أحتسب بالثلاث عليك

If you wish, I will stay seven nights with you, then seven nights with my other wives, and if you wish, I will stay three nights and then rotate, and the three will not be counted against you.

وطفت بالبيت أسبوعا أي سبع مرات

And I circumambulated the Kaaba for a week, meaning seven times.

سبع القوم يسبعهم، بالفتح، سبعا: صار سابعهم.

He became the seventh of the people, he makes them the seventh, with a fatha, meaning he became their seventh.

واستبعوا: صاروا سبعة.

And they became seven: they became seven.

وأسبع الشيء وسبعه: صيره سبعة.

And he made the thing seven and sevened it: he made it seven.

سبعت سليم يوم الفتح أي كملت سبعمائة رجل

Sulaym completed seven hundred men on the day of the Conquest.

لنعت التي قامت تسبع سؤرها

To describe the one who stood washing her leftover water seven times.

وسبع المولود: حلق رأسه وذبح عنه لسبعة أيام.

And the newborn's seventh day: shaving its head and sacrificing for it on the seventh day.

وأسبعت المرأة، وهي مسبع، وسبعت: ولدت لسبعة أشهر، والولد مسبع.

And the woman gave birth prematurely, and she is a premature mother, and she gave birth: she gave birth after seven months, and the child is premature.

وسبع الله لك رزقك سبعة أولاد، وهو على الدعاء.

And may Allah grant you seven children as sustenance, and this is a prayer.

وسبع الله لك أيضا: ضعف لك ما صنعت سبعة أضعاف؛

And may Allah multiply for you also: multiply what you did sevenfold.

سبع الله لفلان تسبيعا وتبع له تتبيعا أي تابع له الشيء بعد الشيء

May Allah grant so-and-so sevenfold blessings and follow it with another sevenfold, meaning one thing after another.

والعرب تضع التسبيع موضع التضعيف وإن جاوز السبع، والأصل قول الله عز وجل: كمثل حبة أنبتت سبع سنابل في كل سنبلة مائة حبة

And the Arabs use 'tasbi'' (sevenfold) in place of 'tad'if' (doubling) even if it exceeds seven, and the origin is the saying of Allah, the Almighty: Like a grain that produces seven ears of corn, in every ear a hundred grains.

إن تستغفر لهم سبعين مرة فلن يغفر الله لهم، من باب التكثير والتضعيف لا من باب حصر العدد

If you seek forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them, as a way of multiplying and increasing, not as a way of limiting the number.

وسبع فلان القرآن إذا وظف عليه قراءته في سبع ليال.

And so-and-so completed the Quran if he assigned himself its recitation in seven nights.

وسبع الإناء: غسله سبع مرات.

And he sevened the vessel: he washed it seven times.

وسبع الشيء تسبيعا: جعله سبعة، فإذا أردت أن صيرته سبعين قلت: كملته سبعين.

And he sevened a thing, making it seven, and if you wanted to make it seventy, you would say: I completed it to seventy.

وهو سباعي البدن أي تام البدن.

And he is 'suba'i' of body, meaning complete of body.

والسباعي من الجمال: العظيم الطويل

And the 'suba'i' among camels: the large and tall one.

والمسبع: الذي له سبعة آباء في العبودة أو في اللؤم

And the 'musabba'' is he who has seven fathers in servitude or baseness.

وسبع الحبل يسبعه سبعا: جعله على سبع قوى.

And he sevened the rope, he made it into seven strands.

وبعير مسبع إذا زادت في مليحائه سبع محالات.

And a camel 'musabba'' if seven increments are added to its beauty.

والسبع: الورد لست ليال وسبعة أيام، وهو ظمء من أظماء الإبل

And the 'sab': the watering for six nights and seven days, which is a thirst from the thirsts of camels.

وأسبع الرجل: وردت إبله سبعا.

And the man became 'asba'a': his camels came to water seven times.

والسبع، بالضم: جزء من سبعة، والجمع أسباع.

And 'as-sab', with damma: a part of seven, and the plural is 'asba''.

وسبع القوم يسبعهم سبعا: أخذ سبع أموالهم؛

And he took a seventh of the people's wealth, meaning he took a seventh of their wealth.

فإنه أراد بالسبعين سبع سماوات وسبع أرضين.

For he intended by the seventy, seven heavens and seven earths.

والسبع: يقع على ما له ناب من السباع ويعدو على الناس والدواب فيفترسها مثل الأسد والذئب والنمر والفهد وما أشبهها

And 'as-sab': applies to what has fangs among the predators and attacks people and animals, devouring them like the lion, wolf, leopard, cheetah, and the like.

والثعلب، وإن كان له ناب، فإنه ليس بسبع لأنه لا يعدو على صغار المواشي ولا ينيب في شيء من الحيوان

And the fox, even though it has fangs, is not considered a predator because it does not attack small livestock and does not prey on any animal.

وأما الوعوع وهو ابن آوى فهو سبع خبيث ولحمه حرام لأنه من جنس الذئاب إلا أنه أصغر جرما وأضعف بدنا

As for the jackal, which is the son of the wolf, it is a wicked predator and its meat is forbidden because it is of the wolf species, except that it is smaller in size and weaker in body.

والجمع أسبع وسباع.

And the plural is 'asbu'' and 'sibaa''.

أم السبع فاستنجوا، وأين نجاؤكم؟

O mother of the predator, so seek escape, and where is your escape?

لسان الفتى سبع، عليه شذاته، فإن لم يزع من غربه، فهو آكله

A person's tongue is a predator; its sharp points are upon him; if he does not restrain its sharpness, it will devour him.

أنه نهى عن أكل كل ذي ناب من السباع

That he forbade eating every animal with fangs among the predators.

هو ما يفترس الحيوان ويأكله قهرا وقسرا كالأسد والنمر والذئب ونحوها.

It is what preys on animals and eats them by force and compulsion, like the lion, leopard, wolf, and the like.

وسباع الطير التي تصيد.

And predatory birds that hunt.

والسبعة: اللبوءة.

And 'as-sab'ah': the lioness.

أخذه أخذ سبعة، إنما أصله سبعة فخفف.

His taking is like the taking of seven; its origin is seven, so it was shortened.

وأسبع الرجل: أطعمه السبع، والمسبع: الذي أغارت السباع على غنمه فهو يصيح بالسباع والكلاب؛

And the man was given prey: he fed the predator, and the one whose sheep were preyed upon: predators attacked his flock, so he cries out to the predators and dogs.

وأسبع القوم: وقع السبع في غنمهم.

And the people became 'asba'u': the predator fell upon their sheep.

وسبعت الذئاب الغنم: فرستها فأكلتها.

And the wolves preyed upon the sheep: they attacked them and ate them.

وأرض مسبعة: ذات سباع؛

And a land 'musabba'ah': having predators.

إليك جاوزنا بلادا مسبعه

To you we have passed lands full of predators.

لأعملن بفلان عمل سبعة

I will surely do to so-and-so the deed of seven.

وسبعت الوحشية، فهي مسبوعة إذا أكل السبع ولدها، والمسبوعة: البقرة التي أكل السبع ولدها.

And the wild animal was preyed upon, so it is 'masbu'' if the predator ate its young, and 'al-masbu''ah': the cow whose young the predator ate.

من لها يوم السبع ؟

Who will care for them on the day of the predator?

السبع، بسكون الباء، الموضع الذي يكون إليه المحشر يوم القيامة

As-sab', with sukun on the ba', is the place to which the gathering will be on the Day of Resurrection.

سبعت فلانا إذا ذعرته

You terrified so-and-so if you frightened him.

يوم لا راعي لها غيري، والذئب لا يكون لها راعيا يوم القيامة

A day when there is no shepherd for them but me, and the wolf will not be their shepherd on the Day of Resurrection.

فجعل السبع لها راعيا إذ هو منفرد بها، ويكون حينئذ بضم الباء، وهذا إنذار بما يكون من الشدائد والفتن التي يهمل الناس فيها مواشيهم فتستمكن منها السباع بلا مانع.

So the predator became their shepherd as it was alone with them, and it would be with damma on the ba', and this is a warning of the hardships and tribulations that will occur when people neglect their livestock, allowing predators to take them without hindrance.

يوم السبع عيد كان لهم في الجاهلية يشتغلون بعيدهم ولهوهم، وليس بالسبع الذي يفترس الناس

The Day of As-Sab' was a festival for them in the Jahiliyyah, when they were occupied with their festival and amusement, and it is not the predator that devours people.

ونهى عن جلود السباع

And he forbade the skins of predators.

السباع: تقع على الأسد والذئاب والنمور

Predators: applies to lions, wolves, and tigers.

وكان مالك يكره الصلاة في جلود السباع، وإن دبغت، ويمنع من بيعها

And Malik disliked praying in the skins of predators, even if tanned, and prohibited their sale.