sa7aba الصحابة
Algerian Darja · noun
“sa7aba” (الصحابة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning the companions of the Prophet Mohammed.
Meanings
- the companions of the Prophet Mohammed
Usage
The word sahaba is the plural used to refer collectively to the companions of the prophet. It belongs to religious vocabulary and is used in Algeria as everywhere in the Muslim world, with no truly dialectal form. It is heard in sermons, discussions of Islamic history and blessing formulas. It is almost always used with the article (es-sahaba) and often goes together with the prophet (er-rassoul) in the same sentence. The singular is sahabi. The register is respectful. It is not used to talk about one's own companions or friends: for that, you say shab or s7ab.
Example
حكالنا الإمام على الصحابة في رمضان
7kalna l'imam 3la sa7aba f ramdan
“The imam told us about the companions of the prophet during Ramadan.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa7aba” but also “sahaba” and “es-sahaba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “sa7aba” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “the Companions of the Prophet”: sa7aba in Moroccan.