قِدْحَةٌ

The act of striking or producing, fire (IAth, K, TA) with the مِقْدَحَةٌ. (IAth, TA.) Hence the saying, لَوْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ لَجَعَلَ لِلنَّاسِ قِدْحَةَ ظُلْمَةٍ كَمَا جَعَلَ لَهُمْ قِدْحَةَ نُورٍ [If God had willed, He had assigned to men the faculty of producing darkness, like as He has assigned to them the faculty of producing light]: (K, TA:) a tradition (TA.)

And [hence] (assumed tropical:) Consideration and examination of an affair, to elicit what may be its issue, or result. (K, TA.)