In his 1991 song, Fee Sahaba, Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu declares: “In a cloud adrift upon longing, I saw my life – a shadow in the mist.” Through these words, written by Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Abdu situates his entire existence in the passing of a cloud. The sahaba becomes a vessel for memory and desire, carrying his life like a faint shadow, barely tangible.
Our Arabic word of the week is sahaba, which translates to a single cloud. When used in the plural, clouds, the word becomes sahab or suhub. In the Gulf and across the Arab world, where the desert dominates the landscape, the appearance of clouds has always carried profound meaning. A cloud can promise rain, bring shade or simply remind onlookers of the fleeting nature of life.
In the Quran, clouds are not only a natural phenomenon but a sign of divine wisdom and power. They are described as instruments of mercy, reminders of Allah’s control over creation, and symbols of human dependence on forces far beyond our control.
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The Quran speaks of clouds in several contexts, often linking them to rain. In Surat Al-Nur, a verse describes how Allah “drives the clouds, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap, and then you see the rain emerge from within them”. This imagery is both scientific in its observation of cloud formation and spiritual in its reminder that rain is ultimately a gift from the Creator.
While abundant and omnipresent in Europe and the Americas, many parts of the Gulf rarely experience cloudy days, making the presence of a sahaba a harbinger of happiness and jovial moods. In English, cloudy days are called gloomy and dreary. In the Gulf, many cheer at the arrival of cloudy days, often using them to be outdoors away from the harsh rays of the sun.
The word can also be seen in phrases such as sahabat ssaif, or a summer cloud, which usually refers to a fleeting moment or respite rather than a positive and lasting change. Sahaba is also found in the Arabic word for skyscraper, which is natihat sahab, literally translating to cloud rammer. The imagery it evokes is of mighty structures of steel which go head-to-head with the skies, surpassing their faraway yet feeble defences.
