The “Dābbat min al-Arḍ: دابة الارض” (Creature from the Earth) is mentioned in verse 82 of Surah (Chapter) An-Naml. Most Sunni commentators have regarded it as a supernatural animal destined to appear near the Day of Judgment, with some accepting only its animal aspect and refraining from detailing its attributes. However, in Shi'i exegeses, Imam Ali (pbuh) is often identified as the embodiment of the Dābba, and its emergence is linked to the threshold of the Resurrection or the event of Raj'at (return). Both perspectives agree that the Dābba will communicate with people, wound them, or mark them according to their faith or disbelief. This research, employing a descriptive-analytical approach and relying on internal evidences including context and thematically related verses as well as narrations and historical data, arrives at novel conclusions regarding the concept and identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ.” According to the findings, the concept of the Dābba corresponds to Imam Ali (pbuh), and the time of its emergence is identified as the Battle of Badr, where he played a decisive role and caused the death of many leaders of the polytheists.
Sadeghi, S. J. (2025). Conceptual Analysis and Identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ: دابة الارض Based on Internal and External Evidences. Quranic Doctrines, 22(41), 171-192. doi: 10.30513/qd.2025.6609.2478
MLA
Sadeghi, S. J. . "Conceptual Analysis and Identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ: دابة الارض Based on Internal and External Evidences", Quranic Doctrines, 22, 41, 2025, 171-192. doi: 10.30513/qd.2025.6609.2478
HARVARD
Sadeghi, S. J. (2025). 'Conceptual Analysis and Identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ: دابة الارض Based on Internal and External Evidences', Quranic Doctrines, 22(41), pp. 171-192. doi: 10.30513/qd.2025.6609.2478
CHICAGO
S. J. Sadeghi, "Conceptual Analysis and Identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ: دابة الارض Based on Internal and External Evidences," Quranic Doctrines, 22 41 (2025): 171-192, doi: 10.30513/qd.2025.6609.2478
VANCOUVER
Sadeghi, S. J. Conceptual Analysis and Identification of the “Dābbat al-Arḍ: دابة الارض Based on Internal and External Evidences. Quranic Doctrines, 2025; 22(41): 171-192. doi: 10.30513/qd.2025.6609.2478
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