Core sense — fear, solicitous affection; the redness of the sky after sunset; a bad thinggenerated
1
Fear. [See also شَفِقَ, of which it is the maṣdar, in the preceding paragraph.]
Or fear arising from the strictness of faithful, sincere advice; and so شَفَقَةٌ.
Or the second of these is the fear felt by one who gives such advice, on account of his giving it, for the person to whom it is given.
Or both words mean the eagerness, or striving, of one who gives such advice to set right the state of the person advised. The K and TA call this a figurative use of the words, though the reason for that is not clear.
شَفَقَةٌ is a substantive from الإِشْفَاقُ, and شَفَقٌ is synonymous with it, being likewise a substantive from الإِشْفَاقُ.
The primary meaning of شَفَقَةٌ is said to be weakness; and it is joined with خَوْفٌ [fear], so it is not applied as an attribute to God.
Generally it means affection, kindness, benignity, compassion, or favourable inclination; or solicitous affection; or pity, tenderness, and fear that some disliked or evil event may befall, together with faithful, sincere advice.
2the redness in the horizon from sunset until nightfall—شَفَقٌ
That is, until the time of the last عِشَآء [nightfall], when it disappears, and the white شَفَق remains until the middle of the night — or rather until a late period that varies with the season.
Or until near that time; or until near the عَتَمَة [q. v., which generally means the same, or nearly so].
Or the redness seen in the sky at sunset; or the remains of the light and redness of the sun in the first part of the night, until near the عَتَمَة; or the light and redness of the sun, seen at sunset, until the time of the prayer of nightfall.
Er-Rāghib: the mixture of the light of day with the blackness of night at sunset.
Zj: the redness that is in the region of sunset after the sun has set. This is the meaning commonly given in the books of lexicology, and Mtr says that it means the redness according to a number of the Companions of the Prophet and of the generation next after them.
But according to Aboo-Hureyreh it means the whiteness after sunset, which, to distinguish it from the شَفَق commonly so called, is often called the white شَفَق.
IAth says that this word has two opposite meanings: it is applied to the redness seen after sunset, and to the whiteness remaining in the western horizon after that redness.
Fr says: I heard one of the Arabs say, عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبٌ كَأَنَّهُ الشَّفَقُ [Upon him is a garment as though it were the شَفَق]; and it was red.
2.1figurative · مجاز
[Hence,] a garment, or piece of cloth, dyed red.
3figurative · مجاز — inferredI am apart, or aloof, from this affair—أَنَا فِى أَشْفَاقٍ مِنْ هٰذَا الأَمْرِ
Also the same as نَاحِيَةٌ [a side, and the like; or a remote side]. Plural أَشْفَاقٌ.
That is, نَوَاحٍ, as though one were on the remote sides of the affair.
In like manner فِى عُرُوضٍ مِنْهُ [apparently a mistranscription for عَرُوضٍ, that is, نَاحِيَةٍ] and فى أَعْرَاضٍ منه, that is, نَوَاحٍ.
4figurative · مجاز
And a bad thing; the same as رَدِىْءٌ.
In the TA it is said that J wrote it with kesr to the ف, but it is not so in either of my copies of the S.
Applied to a garment, or piece of cloth, in this sense, or as meaning bad and thin.
[Said to be] from شَفَقَةٌ, meaning weakness.
Seldom pluralized; and used alike as masculine and feminine, being applied as an adjective to a مِلْحَفَة, meaning رَدِيئَةٌ.
Show Lane's original text
Fear: (K:) [see also شَفِقَ , (of which it is the inf. n.) in the next preceding paragraph:] or fear [arising] from strictness ( شِدَّة ) of faithful or sincere or honest advice; (M, TA;) as also شَفَقَةٌ : (M:) or ↓ the latter signifies the fear of him who gives faithful or sincere or honest advice, in consequence of his doing so, for him to whom such advice is given: (O:) or the former, (K, TA,) and ↓ the latter also, (TA,) the eagerness, or striving, of him who gives such advice, to rectify, or amend, the state of him to whom that advice is given: (K, TA: [said in the latter to be a tropical application of the words; but why, I see not:]) شَفَقَةٌ is subst. from الإِشْفَاقُ , (S, Msb, TA,) and شَفَقٌ is syn. therewith (S, O, K, TA) as being also a subst. from الإِشْفَاقُ : (S, TA:) [it is said that] the primary signification of شَفَقَةٌ is weakness: (Ham p. 179:) and it is conjoined with خَوْفٌ [fear]; therefore it is not applied as an attribute to God: (Idem p. 722:) [generally] it signifies affection, kindness, benignity, compassion, or favourable inclination: (MA:) [or solicitous affection &c.:] or pity, or compassion, and tenderness, and fear of the betiding of some disliked or evil event, together with faithful or sincere or honest advice. (TA.) شَفَقٌ also signifies The redness (Kh, S, Msb, K) in the horizon (K) from sunset until the time of the last عِشَآء [i. e. nightfall], (Kh, S, Msb, K,) when it disappears, (Kh, S, Msb,) and the white شَفَق remains until the middle [or rather until a late period varying at different seasons] of the night: (Msb:) or until near that time: or until near the عَتَمَة [q. v., generally meaning the same, or nearly so]: (K:) or the redness that is seen in the sky at sunset: (IDrd, O:) or the remains of the light and redness of the sun in the first part of the night, until near the عَتَمَة : (S:) or the light and redness of the sun, seen at sunset, until the time of the prayer of nightfall: (M:) or the mixture of the light of day with the blackness of night at sunset: (Er-Rághib, TA:) accord. to Zj, the redness that is in the region of sunset after the setting of the sun: this is the meaning given as of common repute in the books of lexicology; and Mtr says [in the Mgh] that it means the redness accord. to a number of the Companions of the Prophet and of the people of the generation next succeeding them: but accord. to Aboo-Hureyreh, it means the whiteness [after sunset, which, to distinguish it from the شَفَق commonly so called, is often termed the white شَفَق , as in an instance above]: (Msb:) IAth says that this word has two contr. meanings; being applied to the redness that is seen after sunset; and to the whiteness remaining in the western horizon after the said redness. (TA.) Fr says, I heard one of the Arabs say, عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبٌ كَأَنَّهُ الشَّفَقُ [Upon him is, or was, a garment as though it were the شَفَق ]: and it was red. (S.) [Hence,] A garment, or piece of cloth, dyed red. (AA, TA.) And Day. (Zj, M, K.) Also i. q. نَاحِيَةٌ [A side, &c.; or a remote side]: pl. أَشْفَاقٌ . (O, K.) One says, أَنَا فِى أَشْفَاقٍ مِنْ هٰذَا الأَمْرِ i. e. نَوَاحٍ [meaning I am apart, or aloof, from this affair; as though in, or on, remote sides thereof]: (O, TA:) and in like manner فِى عُرُوضٍ مِنْهُ [app. a mistranscription for عَرُوضٍ i. e. نَاحِيَةٍ ] and فى أَعْرَاضٍ منه i. e. نَوَاحٍ . (TA.) And A bad thing; syn. رَدِىْءٌ : (Lth, S, M, O, K, TA: [in the TA said to be written by J with kesr to the ف ; but not so in either of my copies of the S:]) applied to a garment, or piece of cloth, (Mgh, TA, and Ham p. 179,) [in this sense, or] as meaning bad and thin: (Mgh in art. خرث :) [said to be] from شَفَقَةٌ signifying “ weakness: ” (Ham ubi suprà:) seldom pluralized: (O:) and used alike as masc. and fem., being applied as an epithet to a مِلْحَفَة , (M, O,) meaning رَدِيئَةٌ . (M.)