Nippur in Arabic sources (1)

Text
Yaqut al-Rumi, Book of Countries 4.789 s.v. Niffar:
Niffar … a city or village on the nahr Nars, in Persia, on the strength of al-Haṭīb. This is possible if he meant that it was part of the land of the Persians in Antiquity. Nowadays, it is in the vicinity of Babil, in the Ard al-Kufa. Abu al-Mundhir said: Niffar was called Niffar because Nimrud b. Kanˁān was the keeper of eagles when he wanted to ascend to heaven. But he did not succeed in doing so: the eagles fell down with him on top of Niffar, and the mountains located in that spot scattered (nafara), away from him. Some of the(ir) pieces fell in Persia, by a decision of God. But it was believed that they were something descending there from heaven. To this refers (God’s) saying: ‘though their devisings were such as to remove mountains’ (Surah 14:45).

Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Qur’ān, Surah 14:45
Yaqut al-Rumi, Book of Countries 4.789 s.v. Niffar

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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