Salsabil (Quran) Explained

Salsabil (Arabic: سلسبيل, romanized as , , , , , ) is an Arabic term referring to a spring or fountain in paradise, mentioned in the Qur'an and in some hadiths. The term is also used as a common and proper noun.

In the Quran

In the Quran, the word is used once, to refer to a spring or fountain in paradise (Jannah).^[1] The sole quranic reference is in sura Al-Insan.^[2] There is also mention in some hadith.^[3]

The verse may be in reference to the previous verse concerning the drink provided to those who enter paradise. "Salsabil" is usually but not always considered to be used as a proper noun, not a common noun, in this verse (that is, the capitalized name of one specific water source).^[1] The common noun is used in Hindustani to mean "[r]unning limpid, sweet water",^[4] and in Persian for a pleasant beverage.^[3]

Derivations

The Qur'anic term is probably the source of the engineering use of "salsabil", to designate a type of fountain. This is used for aerating drinking water in a sebil,^{[5] [6] [7]} for evaporative cooling of a building, or both.^[8]

Like many terms found in the Quran, it is used as a proper name given to people, as both a personal^[9] or as a family name.^[10] It is also the name of one of the old neighborhoods in Tehran, Iran.^[11]

See also

• Salsabil (fountain) (for cooling)
• Sebil (for drinking)
• Shadirvan (for wudu, ablutions)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Translations, Chapter (76) sūrat l-insān, verse 18 . corpus.quran.com . The Quranic Arabic Corpus - Translation.
2. Web site: Salsabil - Ontology of Quranic Concepts from the Quranic Arabic Corpus . corpus.quran.com.
3. Web site: Salsabil . WikiShia . en.
4. Book: Yates . William . A dictionary, Hindustani and English . 1847 . Printed at the Baptist Mission Press . 891595206 . en.
5. Book: Williams, Caroline. Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide. American University in Cairo Press. 2008. 9789774162053. Cairo. 6th.
6. Book: Sumner-Boyd. Hilary. Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City. Freely. John. Tauris Parke Paperbacks. 2010. Revised.
7. Mostafa. Saleh Lamei. 1989. The Cairene Sabil: Form and Meaning. Muqarnas. 6. 33–42. 10.2307/1602278. 1602278.
8. Ford . Brian . Passive downdraught evaporative cooling: principles and practice . Architectural Research Quarterly . September 2001 . 5 . 3 . 271–280 . 10.1017/S1359135501001312 . free .
9. Web site: What Does The Name Salsabil Mean? . The Meaning of Names . en.
10. Web site: Salsabil . forebears.io.
11. News: Iranians rebel over price of beloved pistachio . USA TODAY . Associated Press . 2013-04-01.