نَفِيرٌA people hastening to war, or to some other undertaking: an Verbal.Noun used as a subst.: or a people going to execute an affair: or a people going with one to fight; as also
نَفْرَةٌ [q. v.] and
نَفْرٌ: each is a noun having a pl. signification: or the first and last signify a company of men: and the pl. of each is أَنْفَارٌ: or the first, or all, a people, or company,preceding in an affair: or the first, those of a man's people who go forth with him to war: or it is a pl. [or quasi-pl.] of نَفَرٌ, signifying men assembled to go to the enemy: or aiders, or assistants. [See نَفَرٌ, in two places.] You say, جَآءَتْ نَفْرَةُ بَنِى فُلَانٍ, and نَفِيرُهُمْ, The company of the sons of such a one, that came forth to execute an affair, arrived.نَفِيرُ قُرَيْشٍ means Those of Kureysh who went forth to Bedr to defend the caravan of Aboo-Sufyán, which was coming from Syria. Hence the proverb, فُلَانٌ لَا فِىالعِيرِ وَلَا فِى النَّفِيرِ [Such a one is neither in the caravan nor in the company going forth to fight]: applied to him who is not regarded as fit for a difficult undertaking: because none held back from the caravan and the fight except him who was crippled by disease and him in whom was no good; or the original words of the proverb are لا فِى العِيرِ وَلَا فِى النَّفِيرِ: and these words were first said by Aboo-Sufyán, with reference to the Benoo-Zuhrah, when he found them turning back towards Mekkeh; and, accord. to As, are applied to a man who is held in low and little repute. [See also Freytag's Arab. Prov., ii. 500.]
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