شَفًا

Full Definition

شَفًا The point or extremity, verge, brink, or edge, of anything; like شَفَةٌ ; for شَفَا الحُفْرَةِ or شَفَا البِئْرِ and شَفَتُهَا both signify the same, i. e. حَرْفُهَا or طَرَفُهَا; but the final و in the former is changed into ا, and in the latter [accord. to those who hold شَفَةٌ to be originally شَفْوَةٌ] it is elided; شَفًا being originally شَفَوٌ: [but شَفًا generally signifies as expl. above; and شَفَةٌ almost always signifies the “ lip ” of a human being:] the dual is شَفَوَانِ; this being known, as Akh says, by the fact that إِمَالَة in the word شَفًا is not allowable: and the pl. is أَشْفَآءٌ. It is said in the Kur [iii. 99], وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٌ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا [And ye were on the verge, or brink, of a pit of the fire of Hell, and He saved, or rescued, you from it]. And one says, هُوَ عَلَى شَفَا الهَلَاكِ [He is on the brink of destruction].
2 Also A little; a small part, or portion; somewhat; somewhat remaining of the moon when near the change, (K, TA, [الهَلاك in the CK is erroneously put for الهِلَال,]) and of the sight (البَصَر), and of the day, and the like, as in the T. One says of a man on the occasion of his dying, and of the moon at [the last period of the month called] its مُحَاق, and of the sun at its setting, مَا بَقِىَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا شَفًا [and مِنْهَا when said of the sun] There has not remained of him, or it, save a little: and [in like manner] مِنَ العُمُرِ [of life]. And one says, أَتَيْتُهُ بِشَفًا مِنْ ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ [I came to him in a time when there was little remaining of the light of the sun]. El-'Ajjáj says, أَشْرَفْتُهُ بِلَا شَفًا أَوْ بِشَفَا وَمِرْبَأٍ عَالٍ لِمَنٌ تَشَرَّفَا meaning [Many an elevated place of observation, high to him who ascends it, I have ascended] when the sun had set or when there was somewhat of it remaining. One says also, صَارَ فِى شَفَا القَمَرِ meaning He was, or became, in the last part of the night. And it is said in a trad., (in relation to [the temporary marriage termed] المُتْعَة,) فَلَوْ لَا نَهْيُهُ عَنْهَا مَا ٱحْتَاجَ إِلَى الزِّنَا إِلَّا شَفًا, accord. to the T meaning [Were it not for his forbidding it, none would need having recourse to fornication,] save a small number of men: or, accord. to 'Atà, it means, but would be on the brink thereof, without falling into it; شَفًا being thus used in the place of the Verbal.Noun إِشْفَآء: so says IAth, as from Az.

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