Near-synonyms: camels, horses and ships

Camels

In the Qur’an, no fewer than 12 terms designating camels can be counted. Some add the word أنْعام, which designates beasts of burden in general but is more often used for camels.

جَمَل

This is the most common term for the camel. Its root also evokes beauty, as well as the sum or synthesis. It appears only once in the Qur’an. However, in that context, some commentators say the word here means a thick rope.

وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ
And they will not enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of the needle. (7:40)

ناقة

This is the most common term for the she-camel. It is mentioned seven times in the Qur’an.

هَذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِي أَرْضِ اللَّهِ
« This is the she-camel of God, [sent] to you as a sign. So let her graze on God’s earth. » (11:64)

إِبِل

This term is a collective without a singular. According to the grammarians, terms of this nature are conjugated in the feminine. This is the case for it in the Qur’an.

أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ
Do they not then look at the camels, how they were created? (88:17)

بَعِير

This term designates the camel (or she-camel) large enough to carry a person or loads, that is, around the age of four.

قَالُوا نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ وَلِمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ
They said: « We are missing the king’s measuring-cup. Whoever brings it will receive a camel-load. » (12:72)

بُدْن

This term designates the camels (or cows, according to some) intended for the sacrifices of Mecca during the pilgrimage or the ʿumra. Its root evokes corpulence, and it is said that these camels are so called because of their large size (which also applies to cows).

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا
And the corpulent camels (and cows), We have made them for you among the rites of God; in them there is good for you. So pronounce the name of God over them. (22:36)

العِير

This term designates the caravan of camels (or other animals, according to some) carrying goods. In the passage below, the caravan metaphorically designates the caravaneers.

ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ
Then a crier announced: « O caravan! You are surely thieves! » (12:70)

هِيم

This term designates thirsty camels. Some say it refers more precisely to camels afflicted by a disease that makes them thirsty. It is the plural of the word أهْيَم.

فَشَارِبُونَ شُرْبَ الهِيمِ
You will drink like thirsty camels. (55:56)

عِشار

The root of this word is the same as the number ten. It refers to she-camels at ten months of pregnancy, that is, those about to give birth shortly, the gestation of she-camels being thirteen months.

وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ
And when the pregnant she-camels are neglected. (81:4)

بَحِيرة

The root of this word means to split an ear widely. It literally refers to the she-camel with a slit ear, in reference to a pre-Islamic tradition. Opinions differ on its exact meaning. According to the dominant view, the Arabs had a tradition concerning she-camels that had borne five young, the last of which was a male: they would slit its ear to mark it, then leave it free (as an offering to their deities) without milking, riding or slaughtering it. Another fairly common view holds that this term designates the daughter of the سائبة (see below).

مَا جَعَلَ اللهُ مِنْ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَائِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ وَلَكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللهِ الكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
God has not instituted Baḥîra, nor Sâ’iba, nor Waṣîla, nor Ḥâmi, but those who disbelieve forge lies against God, and most of them do not reason. (5:103)

سائِبة

Some say it is the she-camel that has given birth to females ten times. It is then left free, as with the بحيرة. Others say that the Arabs would sometimes vow that if they were cured or delivered from some ill, they would make their she-camel a سائبة — that is, a she-camel left in peace as described.

وَصِيلة

It is said to be the she-camel that has linked (وصلتْ) ten birthings and is left free like the previous ones. Others say this word refers to categories of sheep of the same kind.

حام

This term designates the camel that has sired ten times. It is then said to have protected (حَمَى) its back — from which root the word derives. It is then left free.

Note: there is much fluctuation regarding these last terms in the tafsirs. It is therefore quite difficult to form a definite idea of them.

Horses

خَيْل

This is the usual term for horses. It is a collective without a singular. Note that the commonly used singulars حِصان and فَرَس are not found in the Qur’an.

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ
Made attractive to people is the love of objects of desire — women, children, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, branded horses, livestock and tilled land. These are the comforts of the life of this world; but with God is the best return. (3:14)

جِياد

This term, which appears only once in the Qur’an, designates horses of quality, as the root indicates. Others say it derives from the word جِيد, the neck — thus long-necked horses. It is a plural whose singular is جَواد.

صافنات

This term designates horses standing on three legs with the tip of the fourth hoof against the ground — that is, in the posture of the steed ready to spring. They are therefore racehorses.

وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ
And to David We granted Solomon — what an excellent servant; he was ever turning [to God]! When, one evening, the noble racing steeds were presented to him. (38:30-31)

الْعَادِيَات / الْمُورِيَات

These two terms are rather adjectives metaphorically designating horses. The first, عادِيات, designates the horses that run, as the root indicates. The second designates the horses that « strike sparks ».

وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا
By the panting chargers, and those that strike sparks. (100:1-2)

Ships

سفينة

This is the most common term for boats in general. It can refer to large or small boats. Thus, concerning Noah, the Qur’an uses this word in the verse below, and the word فُلْك in others.

فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَصْحَابَ السَّفِينَةِ وَجَعَلْنَاهَا آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
So We saved [Noah] and the people of the vessel, and We made it a sign for the worlds. (29:15)

فلك

This term seems to designate boats of considerable size, as some of the Companions report. Its form is invariable, but the Qur’anic context indicates that when it agrees in the masculine, it designates a single ship; and when it agrees in the feminine, it designates a plural.

فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ
We saved him, and those with him, in the laden vessel. (26:119)

جارِية (pl. جوارٍ)

The root of this word means to run, to circulate, to sail. It is literally « the one that sails ».

إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ
Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you upon the sailing [vessel]. (69:11)

مُنْشآت

Opinions differ on the exact meaning of this term. But the word literally means « those that are built up », and the Qur’anic context in which it appears evokes a ship of very large size.

وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنْشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالْأَعْلَامِ
To Him belong the structures sailing on the sea like mountains. (55:24)