Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān

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Animal Life

(5,587 words)

Author(s): Eisenstein, Herbert
The references to fauna in the Qurʾān. There are more than two hundred passages in the Qurʾān dealing with animals and six sūras bear the names of animals as titles (q 2 The Cow [Sūrat al-Baqara]; q 6 The Herding Animals [Sūrat al-Anʿām]; q 16 The Bee [Sūrat al-Naḥl]; q 27 The Ant [Sūrat al-Naml]; q 29 The Spider [Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt]; q 105 The Elephant ¶ [Sūrat al-Fīl]). Nevertheless, animal life is not a predominant theme in the Qurʾān. Animal species The common Arabic word for “animal” ḥayawān (lit. life) occurs only once in the Qurʾān (q 29:64) and actually does not refer to an animal, …

Hides and Fleece

(537 words)

Author(s): Eisenstein, Herbert
The skins and fur of animals. There is only one qurʾānic passage referring to hides and fleece (q 16:80): “God has appointed for you from your tents ( buyūt, lit. “houses”) a rest, and from the skins of the cattle (julūd al-anʿām) he has appointed for you houses which are light for you on the day you strike them and the day you set them up, and from their wools (aṣwāf) and their furs (awbār) and their hair (ashʿār), furnishings and comfort for a season.” (Only these animal products will be discussed in the following. Human skin, to which the Qurʾān refers in connection with hell's fire [cf. q 4:56; 22:2…

Spider

(702 words)

Author(s): Eisenstein, Herbert
Creature whose body contains two main divisions: one with four pairs of walking legs, the other with two or more pairs of spinnerets for spinning the silk that is used in making the cocoons for its young, nests for itself or webs to entangle its prey. The ¶ word spider (ʿankabūt), which provides the name for q 29, Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt, occurs twice in the Qurʾān in one and the same verse, q 29:41. In this verse, the spider exemplifies an agent for warning and threatening the infidels for their ungrateful conduct (see animal life; belief and unbelief; gratitude and ingratitude). Those who choose …

Hunting and Fishing

(716 words)

Author(s): Eisenstein, Herbert
Pursuing and killing animals of the earth (q.v.) and water (q.v.), respectively, for the purpose of nourishment, profit and/or ¶ sport. There are only a few qurʾānic occurrences denoting hunting and fishing (ṣayd), all of which are found in q 5 (Sūrat al-Māʾida, “The Repast”). The aim of the creation (q.v.) of animals by God is primarily their usefulness for humankind (see animal life ). As a consequence, it is principally permitted to kill and eat them or to use animal products (see hides and fleece ) if these animals and their products are clean (ḥalāl); indeed, they belong to the good …