George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)
the men only, the women being forbidden to eat thereof: and such a camel or sheep, from the slitting of her ear, they called Bahîra. Or the Bahîra was a she-camel, which was turned loose to feed, and whose fifth young one, if it proved a male, was killed and eaten by men and women promiscuously; but if it proved a female, had its ear slit, and was dismissed to free pasture, none being permitted to make use of its flesh or milk, or to ride on it; though the women were allowed to eat the flesh of it, when it died: or it was the female young of the Sâiba, which was used in the same manner as its dam; or else an ewe, which had yeaned five times 1. These, however, are not all the opinions concerning the Bahîra: for some suppose that name was given to a she-camel, which after having brought forth young five times, (if the last was a male,) had her ear slit, as a mark thereof, and was let go loose to feed, none driving her from pasture or water, nor using her for carriage 2; and ochers tell us, that when a camel had newly brought forth, they used to slit the ear of her young one, saying, O God, if it live, it shall be for our use, but if it die, it shall be deemed rightly slain; and when it died, they eat it 3.
Saïba signifies a she-camel turned loose to go where she will. And this was done on various accounts: as when she had brought forth females ten times together; or in satisfaction of a vow; or when a man had recovered from sickness, or returned safe from a journey, or his camel had escaped some signal danger either in battle or otherwise. A camel so turned loose was declared to be Saïba, and, as a mark of it, one of the vertebræ or bones was taken out of her back, after which none might drive her from pasture or water, or ride on her 4. Some say that the Saïba, when she had ten times together brought forth females, was suffered to go at liberty, none being allowed to ride on her, and that her milk was not to be drank by any but her young one, or a guest, till she died; and then her flesh was eaten by men as well as women, and her last female young one had her ear slit, and was called Bahîra, and turned loose as her dam had been 5.
This appellation, however, was not so strictly proper to female camels, but that it was given to the male when his young one had begotten another young one 6: nay a servant set at liberty and dismissed by his master, was also called Saïba 7; and some are of
1 AI Firauzabâdi.
2 Al Zamakh. al Beidâwi, al Mostatraf.
3 Ebn al Athîr.
4 Al Firauzab. al Zamakh.
5 Al Jawhari. Ebn al Athîr.
6 Al Firauz.
7 Idem, al Jawhari, &c.
