Core sense — a camel's saddle; a man's dwelling or place of abode; a traveller's goodsgenerated
1[He put down his camel's saddle]—حَطَّ رَحْلَهُ
A saddle for a camel; also رَاحُولٌ, for a he-camel and a she-camel. It is to the camel what the سَرْج is to the horse or similar beast.
Er-Rāghib: the thing that is put upon the camel for the purpose of riding on it; smaller than the قَتَب; one of the vehicles of men, not of women.
[This seems to be regarded as the primary meaning by the authors of the Mgh and the K and by Er-Rāghib: but see what follows.]
Or it means the camel's saddle together with his [girths called] رَبَض and حَقَب and his [cloth called] حِلْس [that is put beneath the saddle], and all its other fittings; and it is applied also to the pieces of wood of the رَحْل without any apparatus.
Or it means anything, or everything, that a man prepares for removing, or journeying: a bag, or receptacle, for goods or utensils or apparatus; a camel's saddle; a [cloth such as is called] حِلْس [that is put beneath the saddle]; and a رَسَن [or rope for leading his camel].
Or it means the saddle as first explained above, and also the goods, utensils, or apparatus, which a man takes with him [during a journey]. [According to the Msb, this meaning comes from another, mentioned below; the same seems to be indicated in the S, which reverses the order of the three meanings quoted from it here.] This last meaning is disapproved by El-Hareeree, in the 'Durrat el-Ghowwás': [but see two examples under حُذَافَةٌ.]
The plural is أَرْحُلٌ and رِحَالٌ, the first a plural of paucity, the second of multitude.
Also أَلْقَى رَحْلَهُ. The meaning is: he stayed, or abode.
[This is the place where the camels' saddles are put down]—هٰذَا مَحَطُّ الرِّحَالِ
[O son of the place in which the riders' camels' saddles are thrown down]—يَا ٱبْنَ مُلْقَىأَرْحُلِ الرُّكْبَانِ
Said in reviling, as though the person addressed were begotten there; meaning يَا ٱبْنَ الفَاجِرَةِ [O son of the adulteress or fornicatress]. See art. لقى. Or the phrase is هُوَ ابن ملقى ارحل الركبان [He is the son &c.].
1.1
Er-Rāghib, after giving the explanation attributed to him above, says that it is then sometimes applied to the camel [itself], and is sometimes used in the sense that follows.
1.2[I went in to the man in] his dwelling, or place of abode—دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ رَحْلَهُ
A part, of a place of alighting or abode, on which one sits; or a man's dwelling, or habitation; his house or tent; and his place of alighting or abode; a place a man goes to for lodging, covert, or refuge; a man's place of resort, in a region, district, or tract, of cities, towns, or villages, and of cultivated land.
[In the first of these, the article begins here, apparently showing that the author held this to be the primary meaning.]
It is then applied to the goods, utensils, or apparatus, of a traveller, because in travelling these are the things he resorts to.
Plural أَرْحُلٌ and رِحَالٌ [as above].
[When the نِعَال are moistened by rain, then pray, or then prayer shall be performed,] in the houses, or habitations, or places of abode—إِذَا ٱبْتَلَّتِ النِّعَالُ فَصَلُّوا فِى الرِّحَالِ
Az says the meaning is that when hard grounds are rained upon they become slippery to anyone walking on them, so pray in your abodes, and nothing will be brought against you for not being present at the prayer in the mosques of the congregations. Or the tradition may mean: then pray [on the camels' saddles, that is,] riding.
Or فِىلصَّلَاةُ فِى الرِّحَالِ; see art. نعل.
IAth: here نعال means the حِرَار, or rugged and hard tracts of ground, which are specified because the least wet moistens them, while the soft tracts dry up the water. See art. نعل.
1.3
In another tradition, 'Omar is related to have said to the Prophet حَوَّلْتُ رَحْلِىَ البَارِحَةَ, using the word رَحْل in the sense [properly] either of the place of abode and resort or of the saddle on which camels are ridden, alluding to his wife; meaning غِشْيَانُهَا فِى قُبُلِهَا مِنْ جِهَةِ ظَهْرِهَا.
1.4the thing [or desk] on which the مصحف [or copy of the Kur-án] is put—رَحْلُ المُصْحَفِ
Shaped [somewhat] like the saddle. [It is generally a small desk of which the front and back have the form of the letter X; commonly made of palm-sticks.]
2[Carpets, or cloths, or the like, such as are called] طَنَافِس of the fabric of El-Heereh—رَحَالٌ
This is the plural.
Qur’ānic occurrences رَحْل
12:62
وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَـٰنِهِ ٱجْعَلُوا۟ بِضَـٰعَتَهُمْ فِى رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَAnd (Joseph) told his servants to put their stock-in-trade (with which they had bartered) into their saddle-bags, so they should know it only when they returned to their people, in order that they might come back.
12:70
فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِى رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَـٰرِقُونَAt length when he had furnished them forth with provisions (suitable) for them, he put the drinking cup into his brother's saddle-bag. Then shouted out a crier: "O ye (in) the caravan! behold! ye are thieves, without doubt!"
12:75
قَالُوا۟ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِى رَحْلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَThey said: "The penalty should be that he in whose saddle-bag it is found, should be held (as bondman) to atone for the (crime). Thus it is we punish the wrong-doers!"
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
A saddle for a camel; (S, * K;) as also رَاحُولٌ ; (O, L, K;) for a he-camel and a she-camel; (TA;) the thing for the camel that is like the سَرْج for the horse or similar beast; (Mgh;) the thing that is put upon the camel for the purpose of riding thereon; (Er-Rághib, TA;) smaller than the قَتَب ; (S, TA;) one of the vehicles of men, exclusively of women: (TA:) [this seems to be regarded as the primary signification by the authors of the Mgh and the K and by Er-Rághib: but see what follows:] or it signifies the camel's saddle together with his [girths called] رَبَض and حَقَب and his [cloth called] حِلْس [that is put beneath the saddle], and all its other appertenances: and is applied also to the pieces of wood of the رَحْل , without any apparatus: (AO, Sh, TA:) or it signifies anything, or everything, that a man prepares for removing, or journeying; such as a bag, or receptacle, for goods or utensils or apparatus, and a camel's saddle, and a [cloth such as is called] حِلْس [that is put beneath the saddle], and a رَسَن [or rope for leading his camel]: (Msb:) or it signifies as first explained above, and also the goods, or utensils, or apparatus, which a man takes with him [during a journey]: (S, K, TA:) [but accord. to the Msb, this signification is from another, mentioned below; and the same seems to be indicated in the S, which reverses the order in which I have mentioned the three significations that I quote from it:] this last signification is disapproved by El-Hareeree, in the “ Durrat el-Ghowwás: ” [but see two exs. voce حُذَافَةٌ :] the pl. is أَرْحُلٌ and رِحَالٌ ; (S, Mgh, Msb, K;) the former a pl. of pauc.; (S, TA;) the latter, of mult. (TA.) One says, حَطَّ رَحْلَهُ and أَلْقَى رَحْلَهُ [He put down his camel's saddle]; meaning he stayed, or abode. (TA.) And هٰذَا مَحَطُّ الرِّحَالِ [This is the place where the camels' saddles are put down]. (TA.) And in reviling, one says, يَا ٱبْنَ مُلْقَىأَرْحُلِ الرُّكْبَانِ [O son of the place in which are thrown down the camels' saddles of the riders; as though the person thus addressed were there begotten]; (S, O, TA;) meaning يَا ٱبْنَ الفَاجِرَةِ [O son of the adulteress or fornicatress]: (TA in art. لقى :) or هُوَ ابن ملقى ارحل الركبان [He is the son &c.]. (Msb.) Er-Rághib, after giving the explanation mentioned as on his authority above, says that it is then sometimes applied to The camel [itself]: and is sometimes used in the sense next following; i. e. A part, of a place of alighting or abode, upon which on sits: (TA:) or a man's dwelling, or habitation; (S, K, TA;) [in the first of which, this commences the art., app. showing that the author held this to be the primary signification;]) his house or tent; and his place of alighting or abode: (TA:) a place to which a man betakes himself, or repairs, for lodging, covert, or refuge; a man's place of resort; (Mgh, Msb;) in a region, district, or tract, of cities, towns, or villages, and of cultivated land: and then applied to the goods, utensils, or apparatus, of a traveller; because they are, in travelling, the things to which he betakes himself: (Msb:) pl. أَرْحُلٌ (TA) and رِحَالٌ [as above]. (Mgh, TA.) One says, دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ رَحْلَهُ , i. e. [I went in to the man in] his dwelling, or place of abode. (TA.) And it is said in a trad., إِذَا ٱبْتَلَّتِ النِّعَالُ فَصَلُّوا فِى الرِّحَالِ , (TA,) or فِىلصَّلَاةُ فِى الرِّحَالِ , (Mgh, and so in the TA in art. نعل ,) i. e. [When the نِعَال are moistened by rain, then pray ye, or then prayer shall be performed,] in the houses, or habitations, or places of abode; the نعال meaning here the حِرَار ; (IAth, TA in the present art.;) or rugged and hard tracts of ground; which are here particularized because the least wet moistens them, whereas the soft tracts dry up the water: (IAth, TA in art. نعل :) Az says that the meaning is, when the hard grounds are rained upon, they become slippery to him who walks upon them; therefore pray ye in your abodes, and there shall not be anything brought against you for your not being present at the prayer in the mosques of the congregations: (TA in that art.:) or the trad. may mean, then pray ye [on the camels' saddles, i. e.] riding. (TA in the present art.) In another trad., it is related that 'Omar said to the Prophet, حَوَّلْتُ رَحْلِىَ البَارِحَةَ ; by the word رَحْل , as signifying [properly] either the “ place of abode and resort ” or the “ saddle upon which camels are ridden, ” alluding to his wife; meaning غِشْيَانُهَا فِى قُبُلِهَا مِنْ جِهَةِ ظَهْرِهَا (TA.) رَحْلُ المُصْحَفِ means The thing [or desk] upon which the مصحف [or copy of the Kur-án] is put, in shape [somewhat] like the saddle. (TA.) [It is generally a small desk of which the front and back have the form of the letter X; commonly made of palm-sticks.] [The pl.] رَحَالٌ also signifies [Carpets, or cloths, or the like, such as are called] طَنَافِس , of the fabric of El-Heereh. (S, K.)