سَاعَةٌ

Full Definition

سَاعَةٌ [An hour;] one of the divisions of the night and the day; both of which together consist of four and twenty of those divisions; each of them, when they are of equal length, consisting of twelve such divisions; [also termed سَاعَةٌ فَلَكِيَّةٌ (an astronomical hour; fifteen دَرَجَات of time; sixty minutes of time;) because ساعة alone is often used in a vague sense, as meaning what is termed سَاعَةٌ زَمَانِيَّةٌ; i. e.] a time of night or of day: but used absolutely by the Arabs as meaning a time; a while; a space, or period; an indefinite [short] time; and a little while; a [short or] little portion, or division, [or space, or period,] of the night and of the day: and السَّاعَةُ signifies the pre- sent time: pl. سَاعَاتٌ and سَاعٌ , [or the latter is rather a coll. gen. n. of which ساعة is the n. un.,] and سِوَاعٌ. It is used unrestricted in the Kur [vii. 32 and in other places], where it is said, لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً They will not remain behind for a time, or any while, or the shortest time: or they shall not seek to remain behind, by reason of intense terror. And so in a trad., where it is said, مَنْ رَاحَ فِى السَّاعَةِ الأُولَى Whoso goeth in the first time; not in the first astronomical ساعة, for then it would necessarily mean that he who should come in the latter part thereof would be on a par with the former person, which is not the case. [سَاعَةً signifies, as shown above, For, or during, an hour: and awhile; for a little while; during a short time; as in the phrase,] جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَكَ سَاعَةً I sat with thee, or at thine abode, for a little while, or during a short time. [And فِى سَاعَةٍ, In a short time: in a moment. And السَّاعَةَ, Now: just now: this moment. And سَاعَتَئِذٍ, Then; at that time: or in that hour.] And مُذْ سَاعَةٌٍ [A little while ago;] in the first time near to us: (K in art. انف:) or this signifies السَّاعَةَ [expl. above]. (Zj, T and M in art. انف.) [And مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ At the moment thereof; instantly. Hence, سَمَّ سَاعَةٍ An instantaneous poison.]
2 السَّاعَةُ also signifies The resurrection; the raising of mankind for the reckoning; also termed السَّاعَةُ الكُبْرَى: or the time thereof: because of the quickness with which its reckoning will be accomplished: or because it will come suddenly upon mankind, in a moment, and all creatures will die at one cry. Hence, in the Kur [liv. 1], اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ The resurrection [or the time thereof] hath drawn nigh. And [in vii. 186 and lxxix. 42,] يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ They ask thee concerning the resurrection [or the time thereof]. And [in xxxi. last verse and xliii. 85,] عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ With Him is the knowledge of the resurrection, or of the time thereof.
3 Also The death of one generation; termed, for distinction, السَّاعَةُ الوُسْطَى: as in the saying of Mohammad, when he saw 'AbdAllah Ibn-Uneys, إِنْ يَطُلْ عُمْرُ هٰذَا الغُلَامِ لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ [If the life of this boy last long, he will not die until the death of the generation shall come to pass]: accordingly it is said that he was the last that died of the Companions.
4 Also The death of any man; termed, for distinction, السَّاعَةُ الصُّغْرَى: as in the Kur [vi. 31], قَدْ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذَينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَآءِ ٱللّٰهِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلسَّاٰعَةُ بَغْتَةً [They have suffered loss who disbelieved in, or denied as false, the meeting with God until, when death came to them suddenly].
5 Also Difficulty, distress, or affliction; and so .
6 And Distance, or remoteness.

def.2 See also سَائِعٌ.

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