s-y-b

Description

The Arabic root س-ي-ب (s-y-b) carries the core meaning of letting loose, releasing, or leaving something to roam freely without restriction. In the Quran, it appears in the term sā'ibah, which refers to a pre-Islamic Arabian practice where certain animals were set free and left to wander as part of pagan rituals, making them forbidden to use or slaughter. The Quran mentions this practice critically to denounce the superstitious customs of the jahiliyyah period, emphasizing that such prohibitions were human innovations rather than divine commandments.