and a doubled consonant, as in their expressions taqaddā al-bāzī and taqaddada, both meaning “the hawk swooped down.” Sabā, yasbū means “to incline”; a boy is called sabiyy because his inclinations change so readily.
Al-Jawharī said: “Sabiyy, too, is associated with longing. From this root one says tasābā, and sabā, yasbū, with the verbal nouns sabwa and subuww, meaning that he inclined towards youthful folly and vigour. Asbathu al-jāriya means ‘the girl stirred his desire.’”
This expression may also denote a praiseworthy inclination, according to the reading of:
“Indeed, those who believed, those who were Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians”
without a hamza (glottal stop), as in Nāfi‘’s reading. He omits the hamza in the word for “Sabians” throughout the Quran. Allah Most High has praised some of them.
Likewise, one says hanna ilayhi hanīnan, meaning “he yearned for him.” Related to this through ‘greater derivation’ is hanā, yahnū ‘alayhi hunuwwan, meaning “he inclined tenderly towards him.”
Al-Jawharī said: “Hanawtu ‘alayhi means ‘I showed him tenderness’; yahnī ‘alayhi likewise means ‘he shows him tenderness,’ as does tahannana. As the poet said:
‘The soul inclines to you from love’s searing pain—
yet how can you make it incline when you treat it with disdain?’”
He also said: “Hanīn means longing and the soul’s yearning. One says hanna ilayhi, yahinnu hanīnan, ‘he yearned for him’; such a person is called hānn. Hanān means mercy: one says hanna ‘alayhi, yahinnu hanānan, meaning ‘he showed him mercy.’ Hence the words of the Most High:
‘And compassion from Us, and purity.’
“Hannān, with the consonant doubled, means one possessed of mercy. Tahannana ‘alayhi means ‘he showed him mercy.’ The Arabs say hanānayka yā Rabb and hanānaka with the same meaning: ‘Your mercy, O Lord!’” These are al-Jawharī’s words.
A transmitted report explains “al-Hannān, al-Mannān” as follows: al-Hannān is He who turns towards those who turn away from Him, while al-Mannān is He who bestows His gifts before being asked. This is a vast subject.