سَاعَةٌ

[An hour;] one of the divisions of the night and the day; (Lth, K, TA;) both of which together consist of four and twenty of those divisions; each of them, when they are of equal length, consisting of twelve such divisions; (TA;) [also termed سَاعَةٌ فَلَكِيَّةٌ (an astronomical hour; fifteen دَرَجَات of time; sixty minutes of time;) because ساعة alone is often used in a vague sense, as meaning what is termed سَاعَةٌ زَمَانِيَّةٌ; i. e.] a time of night or of day: but used absolutely by the Arabs as meaning a time; a while; a space, or period; an indefinite [short] time; and a little while; (Msb;) a [short or] little portion, or division, [or space, or period,] of the night and of the day: (TA:) and السَّاعَةُ signifies the pre- sent time: (S, K:) plural سَاعَاتٌ and سَاعٌ, (S, Msb, K,) [or the latter is rather a coll. gen. n. of which ساعة is the n. un.,] and سِوَاعٌ. (Msb.) It is used unrestricted in the Qur'an, 7:32 and in other places], where it is said, لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً (Msb) They will not remain behind (Bd) for a time, or any while, (Msb,) or the shortest time: or they shall not seek to remain behind, by reason of intense terror. (Bd.) And so in a tradition, where it is said, مَنْ رَاحَ فِى السَّاعَةِ الأُولَى Whoso goeth in the first time; not in the first astronomical ساعة, for then it would necessarily mean that he who should come in the latter part thereof would be on a par with the former person, which is not the case. (Msb.) [سَاعَةً signifies, as shown above, For, or during, an hour: and awhile; for a little while; during a short time; as in the phrase,] جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَكَ سَاعَةً I sat with thee, or at thine abode, for a little while, or during a short time. (TA.) [And فِى سَاعَةٍ, In a short time: in a moment. And السَّاعَةَ, Now: just now: this moment. And سَاعَتَيءِذٍ, Then; at that time: or in that hour.] And مُذْ سَاعَةٌٍ [A little while ago;] in the first time near to us: (K in article انف:) or this signifies السَّاعَةَ [explained above]. (Zj, T and M in article انف.) [And مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ At the moment thereof; instantly. Hence, سَمَّ سَاعَةٍ An instantaneous poison.]

السَّاعَةُ also signifies (tropical:) The resurrection; (S, K, TA;) the raising of mankind for the reckoning; also termed السَّاعَةُ الكُبْرَى: (Er-Rághib, B:) or the time thereof: (K:) because of the quickness with which its reckoning will be accomplished: (TA:) or because it will come suddenly upon mankind, in a moment, and all creatures will die at one cry. (Zj, Az, TA.) Hence, in the Qur'an, 54:1, اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ (tropical:) The resurrection [or the time thereof] hath drawn nigh. (Jel, TA.) And [in vii. 186 and lxxix. 42,] يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ (tropical:) They ask thee concerning the resurrection [or the time thereof]. (Bd, Jel, TA.) And [in xxxi. last verse and xliii. 85,] عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ (tropical:) With Him is the knowledge of the resurrection, (TA,) or of the time thereof. (Bd, Jel.)

Also (assumed tropical:) The death of one generation; termed, for distinction, السَّاعَةُ الوُسْطَى: as in the saying of Mohammad, when he saw 'AbdAllah Ibn-Uneys, إِنْ يَطُلْ عُمْرُ هٰذَا الغُلَامِ لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ (assumed tropical:) [If the life of this boy last long, he will not die until the death of the generation shall come to pass]: accordingly it is said that he was the last that died of the Companions. (Er-Rághib, B.)

Also (assumed tropical:) The death of any man; termed, for distinction, السَّاعَةُ الصُّغْرَى: as in the Qur'an, 6:31, قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذَينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللّٰهِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاٰعَةُ بَغْتَةً (assumed tropical:) [They have suffered loss who disbelieved in, or denied as false, the meeting with God until, when death came to them suddenly]. (Er-Rághib, B)

Also (assumed tropical:) Difficulty, distress, or affliction; and so السَّاعُ. (TA.)

And (assumed tropical:) Distance, or remoteness. (TA.)