Research into Daabba
Daabba literally means a creeper. In its usage, the word daabba is not used only for animals, but is used rather for anything which creeps or moves slowly. This usage is found both in Arabic and other languages. For instance, the word ‘creep’ by extension is used to convey slow motion in every language, as when a train moves slowly in dense fog, it is said that ‘the train is creeping along.’
American novelist James Baldwin, in one of his stories, writes this sentence about a boat: ‘The old boat creeps over the water no faster than a snail.’
To understand this let us take a look at the following verse of the Quran that states:
“When God’s word is justly carried out against them, We will produce a daabba from the earth which will tell them that mankind had no real faith in Our signs.” (The Quran, 27:82)
In this verse of the Quran, the word ‘takallum’ for daabba is not used in the sense of ‘yantequ’ but is used rather in the sense of ‘yadullu.’ That is, to bear witness. The word ‘kalam’ has been used in this same sense in the Quran in several places, for instance in chapter 30, the Quran has this to say: ‘Have we sent down to them any authority which speaks in favour of what they associate with Him?’ (The Quran, 30:35).
The verse of the Quran which mentions daabba has three parts to it:
i) When God’s word is justly carried out against them,
ii) We will produce a daabba from the earth
iii) Which will tell them that mankind had no real faith in Our signs. (The Quran, 27:82)
The first part of the verse relates to God’s decree, that is, daabba will be produced when God decrees the end of human history in this present world. The second part of the verse deals with natural circumstances, that is, when owing to natural causes the ice cover is removed from daabba (that is, the Ark) and it is laid bare for all to see.
The event will be an invitation to people to study the Quran as the Book of God and through it, accept as an established fact, the message which was sent by God through His prophets.
The third part of the verse deals with human beings, that is, when this occurrence takes place, it will become man’s responsibility to inform people of this event and its history and make people abreast of the lesson it contains. One aspect of the third part of the verse, which relates to man, is that the believers in the Quran should rise and convey the message of the Quran to all mankind because the appearance of daabba will be a confirmation of the prediction made in the Quran. This event will be an invitation to people to study the Quran as the Book of God and through it, accept as an established fact, the message which was sent by God through His prophets.
