سَبَبٌ

Root: سب

Full Definition

سَبَبٌ A rope, or cord; as also سِبٌّ ; the latter of the dial. of Hudheyl, and occurring in this sense in a verse of Aboo-Dhu-eyb cited voce خَيْطَةٌ; accord. to some, as there meaning a wooden peg, [a meaning assigned to it in the K,] but the former is the correct meaning: the pl. of both words is أَسْبَابٌ, [and] the pl. of the latter word is سُبُوبٌ also: or سَبَبٌ signifies any rope let down, or made to descend, from above: or a strong and long rope, but no rope is so called except one by means of which one ascends and descends: or this appellation is only given to a rope of which one end is attached to a roof or ceiling or the like: or one by means of which one ascends palm-trees: [and] a rope by means of which one reaches, or gains access to, water. فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لِيَقْطَعْ, in the Kur [xxii. 15], means Let him stretch a rope to the roof, or ceiling, of his dwelling; then let him die strangled: i. e. let him die of rage: or, as some say, let him stretch a rope to the lowest heaven; then let him traverse the intervening space until he reach the highest part thereof. The saying جَبَّتْ نِسَآءَ العَالَمِينَ بِالسَّبَبْ has been expl. in art. جب: in this instance, a rope or cord, may be meant; or a string, or thread.
2 Hence, A thing of any kind by means of which one attains, reaches, or gains access to another thing: pl. as above. One says, جَعَلْتُ فُلَانًا لِى سَبَبًا إِلَى فُلَانٌ فِى حَاجَتِى, i. e. [I made such a one] a means of access [to such a one in the case of my want]. Hence, أَسْبَابُ السَّمَآءِ The places of ascent of the heaven, or sky: or the tracts, or regions, thereof: or the gates thereof. (Ibn-Es-Seed, K. [See an ex. in a verse cited voce ثَمَانُونَ.]) And the saying, اِرْتَقَى فِى الأَسْبَابِ, meaning He excelled [or attained to excellence] in religion.
3 A road, or way. So in the saying, in the Kur xviii. 88 and 91, ثُمَّ ٱتَّبَعَ سَبَبًا [Then he followed a road, or way]. [And] so in the saying, مَا لِى إِلَيْهِ سَبَبٌ [There is not for me any road, or way, to him, or it]. So too سَبِيبَةٌ : pl. سَبَائِبُ.
4 [ A mean, or means, used in order to any end: a means by which a thing is brought about: a cause; but more properly only a second cause: an occasion, or accidental cause: and a reason, or motive.] One says, هٰذَا سَبَبُ هٰذَا [This is the cause, or occasion, of this]. And بِسَبَبِهِ كَانَ كَذَا [Because of him, or it, it was thus, or such a thing was]. (Msb in art اجل.) And سَبَّبَ ٱللّٰهُ لَكَ سَبَبَ خَيْرٍ [May God appoint, or prepare, for thee a means, or cause, of good, or prosperity].
5 A connexion, or tie, of relationship by marriage; distinguished from نَسَبٌ, which is by birth: from the same word as signifying “ a rope by means of which one reaches, or gains access to, water. ” One says, اِنْقَطَعَ بَيْنَهُمُ السَّبَبُ i. e. The connexion, or tie, [of affinity between them was severed,] and الأَسْبَابُ the connexions, or ties. وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الأَسْبَابُ [in the Kur ii. 161] means, accord. to I'Ab, And their ties and affections [shall be dissundered]: or, accord. to AZ, and their places of abode [shall be divided asunder]. [But] قَطَعَ ٱللّٰهُ بِهِ السَّبَبَ means [God cut short, or may God cut short,] his life.
6 Also, [from the same word as signifying the “ cord, or rope, of a بَيْت, ” properly meaning “ tent, ” and tropically “ verse, ”] A portion, or division, of a foot of a verse, consisting of a movent letter and a quiescent letter; and also one consisting of two movent letters: pl. أَسْبَابٌ. سَبَبٌ خَفِيفٌ [A light cord] means a movent letter followed by a quiescent letter; as قُمْ and مِنْ: and سَبَبٌ ثَقِيلٌ [A heavy cord], two movent letters; as لَكَ and لِمَ. سَبَبَانِ مَقْرُونَانِ [Two conjoined cords] means two portions in which are three successive short vowels followed by a quiescent letter; as مُتَفَا in مُتَفَاعِلُنْ, and عَلَتُنْ in مُفَاعَلَتُنْ: and سَبَبَانِ مَفْرُوقَانِ [Two disjoined cords], two portions of which each consists of a movent letter and a quiescent letter, and which is followed by a movent letter; as مُسْتَفْ in مُسْتَفْعِلُنْ, and عِيلُنْ in مَفَاعِيلُنْ.

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