ابتلاهُ

[Hence, اُبْتِلِىَ بِكَذَا (vulg. اِبْتَلَى) He was tried, proved, or tested, by, or with, such a thing; generally meaning he was afflicted thereby, or therewith; as, for instance, by, or with, a disease.]

Also He asked, or sought, or desired, of him information, or news, or tidings. (M, K.) And ابتلى signifies also He conjured, or adjured, and asked if any had knowledge; synonym اِسْتَحْلَفَ and اِسْتَعْرَفَ [explained by what here follows]. (M, K, TA. [In the CK, both the verb and the explanation are here wrong: the former is written اُبْلِىَ; and the latter, اسْتُحْلِفَ و اسْتُعْرِفَ.]) A poet says,

تَبَغَّى أَبَاهَا فِى الرِّفَاقِ وَ تَبْتَلِى

وَ أَوْدَي بِهِ فِى لُجَّةِ البَحْرِ تَمْسَحُ

[She seeks for her father among the travellingcompanions, and conjures, or adjures, and asks. if any have knowledge, when a crocodile has destroyed him in the depth of the great river: تَبَغَّى is for تَتَبَغَّى]: he means that she says to them, “ I conjure you, or adjure you, by God, (نَاشَدْتُكُمْ اللّٰهَ,) [tell me,] do ye know any tidings of my father? ” (M, TA.) But Aboo-Sa'eed says that تتبلى here means tries, proves, or tests; and that الاِبْتِلَاءُ signifies the trying, proving, or testing, whether by an oath or otherwise. (TA.)

[Also He desired it; he sought it.] It is said in a tradition, النَّذْرُ مَا ابْتُلِىَ بِهِ وَجْهُ اللّٰهُ, i. e. [The vow that a man makes to be binding, or obligatory, on himself is that whereby the recompense of God] is desired, or sought. (TA.)

And He chose him, made choice of him, or elected him. (Sh and T, from a tradition)