شَفَا

$afFA * The point or extremity, verge, brink, or edge, of anything; (S, Msb, K, &c.;) like ↓ $afapN ; for $afaA AlHuforapi (Ksh in iii. 99) or $afaA Albiy^ori (Bd ibid.) and $afatuhaA both signify the same, (Ksh, Bd,) i. e. HarofuhaA (Ksh) or TarafuhaA ; (Bd;) but the final w in the former is changed into A , and in the latter [accord. to those who hold $afapN to be originally $afowapN ] it is elided; (Ksh, Bd;) $afFA being originally $afawN : (Bd:) [but $afFA generally signifies as expl. above; and $afapN almost always signifies the “ lip ” of a human being:] the dual is $afawaAni ; this being known, as Akh says, by the fact that A_imaAlap in the word $afFA is not allowable: (S:) and the pl. is A^a$ofaA='N . (TA.) It is said in the Kur [iii. 99], wakunotumo EalaY $afaA HuforapN mina A@ln~aAri faA^anoqa*akumo minohaA [ And ye were on the verge, or brink, of a pit of the fire of Hell, and He saved, or rescued, you from it ]. (S.) And one says, huwa EalaY $afaA AlhalaAki (tropical:) [ He is on the brink of destruction ]. (TA.) ― -b2- Also (tropical:) A little; (S, A, K, TA;) a small part, or portion; somewhat; (A, TA;) somewhat remaining of the moon when near the change, (K, TA, [ AlhalAk in the CK is erroneously put for AlhilaAl ,]) and of the sight ( AlbaSar ), and of the day, and the like, as in the T. (TA.) One says of a man on the occasion of his dying, and of the moon at [the last period of the month called] its muHaAq , and of the sun at its setting, (S,) maA baqiYa minohu A_il~aA $afFA [and minohaA when said of the sun] (assumed tropical:) There has not remained of him, or it, save a little: (S, K: *) and [in like manner] mina AlEumuri [ of life ]. (S.) And one says, A^atayotuhu bi$afFA mino Dawo'i Al$~amosi (assumed tropical:) [ I came to him in a time when there was little remaining of the light of the sun ]. (TA.) El-'Ajjáj says, A^a$orafotuhu bilaA $afFA A^awo bi$afaA wamirobaA^K EaAlK limanN ta$ar~afaA 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. (S.) One says also, SaAra fiY $afaA Alqamari meaning (assumed tropical:) He was, or became, in the last part of the night. (TA.) And it is said in a trad., (in relation to [the temporary marriage termed] AlmutoEap ,) falawo laA nahoyuhu EanohaA maA A@HotaAja A_ilaY Alz~inaA A_il~aA $afFA , accord. to the T meaning [ Were it not for his (i. e. God's) forbidding it, none would need having recourse to fornication, ] save a small number of men: (T, TA:) or, accord. to 'Atà, it means, but would be on the brink thereof, without falling into it; $afFA being thus used in the place of the inf. n. A_i$ofaA=' : so says IAth, as from Az. (TA.)