تَاهَوْت:
بفتح الهاء، وسكون الراء، وتاء فوقها نقطتان: اسم لمدينتين متقابلتين بأقصى المغرب، يقال لإحداهما تاهرت القديمة وللأخرى تاهرت المحدثة، بينهما وبين المسيلة ست مراحل، وهي بين تلمسان وقلعة بني حماد، وهي كثيرة الأنداء والضباب والأمطار، حتى إن الشمس بها قلّ أن ترى ودخلها أعرابي من أهل اليمن يقال له أبو هلال ثم خرج إلى أرض السودان فأتى عليه يوم له وهج
وحرّ شديد وسموم في تلك الرمال، فنظر إلى الشمس مضحية راكدة على قمم الرؤوس وقد صهرت الناس فقال مشيرا إلى الشمس: أما والله لئن عززت في هذا المكان لطالما رأيتك ذليلــة بتاهرت! وأنشد:
ما خلق الرحمن من طرفة، ... أشهى من الشمس بتاهرت
وذكر صاحب جغرافيا أن تاهرت في الإقليم الرابع، وأن عرضها ثمان وثلاثون درجة، وهي مدينة جليلة، وكانت قديما تسمى عراق المغرب، ولم تكن في طاعة صاحب إفريقية ولا بلغت عساكر المسوّدة إليها قط، ولا دخلت في سلطان بني الأغلب، وإنما كان آخر ما في طاعتهم مدن الزاب وقال أبو عبيد:
مدينة تاهرت مدينة مسورة لها أربعة أبواب: باب الصفا وباب المنازل وباب الأندلس وباب المطاحن، وهي في سفح جبل يقال له جزّول، ولها قصبة مشرفة على السوق تسمى المعصومة، وهي على نهر يأتيها من جهة القبلة يسمى مينة، وهو في قبلتها، ونهر آخر يجري من عيون تجتمع يسمى تاتش، ومنه شرب أهلها وأرضها، وهو في شرقيها، وفيها جميع الثمار، وسفرجلها يفوق سفرجل الآفاق حسنا وطعما، وهي شديدة البرد كثيرة الغيوم والثلج قال بكر بن حماد أبو عبد الرحمن، وكان بتاهرت من حفاظ الحديث وثقات المحدثين المأمونين، سمع بالمشرق ابن مسدّد وعمرو بن مرزوق وبشر بن حجر، وبإفريقية ابن سحنون وغيرهم، وسكن تاهرت وبها توفي، وهو القائل:
ما أخشن البرد وريعانه، ... وأطرف الشمس بتاهرت
تبدو من الغيم، إذا ما بدت، ... كأنها تنشر من تخت
فنحن في بحر بلا لجّة، ... تجري بنا الريح على سمت
نفرح بالشمس، إذا ما بدت، ... كفرحة الذّمّيّ بالسّبت
قال: ونظر رجل إلى توقد الشمس بالحجاز فقال:
احرقي ما شئت، والله إنك بتاهرت لــذليلــة قال:
وهذه تاهرت الحديثة، وهي على خمسة أميال من تاهرت القديمة، وهي حصن ابن بخاثة، وهو شرقي الحديثة، ويقال إنهم لما أرادوا بناء تاهرت القديمة كانوا يبنون بالنهار، فإذا جن الليل وأصبحوا وجدوا بنيانهم قد تهدم، فبنوا حينئذ تاهرت السفلى، وهي الحديثة، وفي قبلتها لواتة وهوّارة في قرارات وفي غربيها زواغة وبجنوبيها مطماطة وزناتة ومكناسة.
وكان صاحب تاهرت ميمون بن عبد الرحمن بن عبد الوهاب بن رستم بن بهرام، وبهرام هو مولى عثمان بن عفان، وهو بهرام بن بهرام جور بن شابور بن باذكان بن شابور ذي الأكتاف ملك الفرس، وكان ميمون هذا رأس الإباضية وإمامهم ورأس الصّفرية والواصلية، وكان يسلّم عليه بالخلافة، وكان مجمع الواصلية قريبا من تاهرت، وكان عددهم نحو ثلاثين ألفا في بيوت كبيوت الأعراب يحملونها. وتعاقب مملكة تاهرت بنو ميمون وإخوته، ثم بعث إليهم أبو العباس عبد الله بن إبراهيم بن الأغلب أخاه الأغلب، ثم قتل من الرّستمية عددا كثيرا وبعث برؤوسهم إلى أبي العباس أخيه، وطيف بها في القيروان، ونصبت على باب رقادة وملك بنو رستم تاهرت مائة وثلاثين سنة. وذكر محمد بن يوسف بن عبد الرحمن بن عبد الوهاب بن رستم، وكان خليفة لأبي الخطاب عبد
الأعلى بن السمح بن عبيد بن حرملة المعافري أيام تغلّبه على إفريقية بالقيروان، فلما قتل محمد بن الأشعث أبا الخطاب في صفر سنة 144 هرب عبد الرحمن بأهله وما خف من ماله وترك القيروان، فاجتمعت إليه الإباضية واتفقوا على تقديمه وبنيان مدينة تجمعهم، فنزلوا موضع تاهرت اليوم، وهو غيضة أشبة، ونزل عبد الرحمن منه موضعا مربعا لا شعراء فيه، فقالت البربر: نزل تاهرت، تفسيره الدّفّ لتربيعه، وأدركتهم صلاة الجمعة فصلى بهم هناك، فلما فرغ من الصلاة ثارت صيحة شديدة على أسد ظهر في الشّعراء فأخذ حيّا وأتي به إلى الموضع الذي صلي فيه وقتل فيه، فقال عبد الرحمن بن رستم: هذا بلد لا يفارقه سفك دم ولا حرب أبدا، وابتدأوا من تلك الساعة، وبنوا في ذلك الموضع مسجدا وقطعوا خشبة من تلك الشّعراء، وهو على ذلك إلى الآن، وهو مسجد جامعها، وكان موضع تاهرت ملكا لقوم مستضعفين من مراسة وصنهاجة فأرادهم عبد الرحمن على البيع فأبوا، فوافقهم على أن يؤدوا إليهم الخراج من الأسواق ويبيحوا لهم أن يبنوا المساكن، فاختطوا وبنوا وسموا الموضع معسكر عبد الرحمن بن رستم إلى اليوم وقال المهلبي: بين شير وتاهرت أربع مراحل، وهما تاهرتان القديمة والحديثة، ويقال للقديمة تاهرت عبد الخالق، ومن ملوكها بنو محمد بن أفلح بن عبد الرحمن بن رستم وممن ينسب إليها أبو الفضل أحمد بن القاسم بن عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله التميمي البزّاز التاهرتي، روى عن قاسم بن أصبع وأبي عبد الملك بن أبي دكيم وأبي أحمد بن الفضل الدينوري وأبي بكر محمد بن معاوية القرشي ومحمد بن عيسى بن رفاعة، روى عنه أبو عمر ابن عبد البرّ وغيره.

اخو

1 أَخَوْتَ, [third Pers\. أَخَا,] (S, K,) aor. ـْ (S,) inf. n. أُخُوَّةٌ; (S, K, &c.;) and ↓ آخَيْتَ, (K, TA,) [in the CK اَخَيْتُ, which is wrong in respect of the Pers\., and otherwise, for it is correctly] with medd, (TA,) inf. n. إِخَآءٌ and مُؤَاخَاةٌ; (Lth;) and ↓ تَأَخَّيْتَ; (K;) Thou becamest a brother [in the proper sense of this word, and also as meaning a friend, or companion, or the like]. (S,* K,* TA.) ↓أُخُوَّةٌ is also [used as] a simple subst., (TA,) signifying Brotherhood; fraternity; the relation of brother; as also ↓إِخَآءٌ and مُؤَاخاةٌ; and ↓تَأَخٍ: (Lth, TA:) and the relation of sister. (S.) You say, بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَهُ أُخُوَّةٌ and ↓إِخَآءٌ [&c., meaning] Between me and him is brotherhood. (JK, TA.) And ↓بَيْنَ السَّمَاحَةِ وَالحَمَاسَةِ تَأَخٍ (assumed tropical:) [Between liberality and courage is a relation like that of brothers]. (TA.) And خُوَّةٌ is a dial. var. of أُخُوَّةٌ, occurring in a trad. (IAth, TA.) A2: [It is also trans.] You say, أَخَوْتُ عَشَرَةً I was, or became, a brother to ten. (TA.) 2 أَخَّيْتُ لِلدَّابَّةِ, (S, K,) or الدَّابَّةَ, (Msb, [so accord. to a copy of that work, but probably this is a mistranscription,]) inf. n. تَأْخِيَةٌ, (S, Msb, K,) I made an آخِيَّة [q. v.] for the beast, (Msb, K,) and tied the beast therewith; (Msb;) [and so, app., ↓ آخَيْتُ (which, if correct, is probably of the measure أَفْعَلْتُ); for it is related that] an Arab of the desert said to another, لِى آخِيَّةً ↓ آخِ

أَرْبِطُ إَلَيْهَا مُهْرِى [Make thou for me an آخيّة to which I shall tie my colt]. (TA.) And you say, فُلَانٌ فِى فُلَانٍ آخِيَّةً فَكَفَرَهَا ↓ آخِى (assumed tropical:) Such a one did a benefit to such a one, and he was ungrateful for it. (TA.) [But perhaps آخِ and آخَى in these two exs. are mistranscriptions for أَخِّ and أَخَّى.]3 آخاهُ, (S, K,) vulgarly وَاخَاهُ, (S,) or the latter is a dial. var. of weak authority, (K,* TA,) said by some to be of the dial. of Teiyi, (TA,) inf. n. مُؤَاخَاةٌ and إِخآءٌ (S, K) and وِخَآءٌ, (K) and [quasi-inf. n.] ↓ إِخَاوَةٌ (Fr, K) and وِخَاوَةٌ, (CK,) He fraternized with him; acted with him in a brotherly manner: (S,* K,* PS, TK:) A'Obeyd mentions, on the authority of Yz, آخَيْتُ and وَاخَيْتُ, and آسَيْتُ and وَاسَيْتُ, and آكَلْتُ and وَاكَلْتُ: the pret. is said to be thus assimilated to [a form of] the fut.; for they used [sometimes] to say, يُوَاخِى, changing the hemzeh into و. (IB, TA.) b2: It is said in a trad., آخَى بَيْنَ المُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ, meaning He united the emigrants [to El-Medeeneh] with the assistants [previously dwel-ling there] by the brotherhood of El-Islám and of the faith. (TA.) You say also, آخَيْتُ بَيْنَ الشَّيْئَنْنِ [I united the two things as fellows, or pairs]; and sometimes one says, وَاخَيْتُ, like as one says, وَاسَيْتُ, for آسَيْتُ; mentioned by ISk. (Msb.) b3: See also 1, in three places.4 آخَوَ see 2, in three places.5 تَأَخَّيْتَ, and the inf.n. تَأَخٍ: see 1, in three places.

A2: تَأَخَّيْتُ أَخًا I adopted a brother: (S, K:) or [تَأَخَّيْتُهُ signifies] I called him brother. (K.) b2: تَأَخَّيْتُ الشَّىْءَ, (S, K, TA,) or بِالشَّىْ, (Msb,) I sought, endeavoured after, pursued, or endeavoured to reach or attain or obtain, the thing; (S, Msb, K, TA;) as the brother does the brother; and in the same manner the verb is used with a man for its object: but تَوَخَّيْتُ, in the same sense, is more common. (TA.) You say, تَأَخَّيْتُ مَحَبَّتَكَ I sought, &c., thy love, or affection. (TA in art. وخى.) 6 تَآخَيَا They became brothers, or friends or companions or the like, to each other. (S,* TA.) أَخٌ, (S, Msb, K,) originally أَخَوٌ, (Kh, S, Msb,) as is shown by the first of its dual forms mentioned below, and by its having a pl. like آبَآءٍ, (S,) and أَخٌّ, (K,) with the second letter doubled to compensate for the و suppressed, as is the case in أَبٌّ, (TA,) and ↓ أَخًا, [like أَبًا,] and ↓ أَخُو, (IAar, K, TA, [the last, with the article prefixed to it, erroneously written in the CK الاُخُوٌّ,]) and ↓ أَخْوٌ, like دَلْوٌ, (Kr, K,) a well-known term of relationship, (K, TA,) i. e. A brother; the son of one's father and mother, or of either of them: and also applied to a foster-brother: (TA:) and (assumed tropical:) a friend; and a companion, an associate, or a fellow: (K:) derived from آخِيَّةٌ [q. v.]; as though one أَخ were tied and attached to another like as the horse is tied to the آخيّة: (Har p. 42 :) or, accord. to some of the grammarians, it is from وَخَى meaning قَصَدَ; because the أَخ has the same aim, endeavour, or desire, as his أَخ: (TA:) when أَخ is prefixed to another noun, its final vowel is prolonged: (Kh:) you say, هذَا أَخُوكَ [This is thy brother, &c.], and مَرَرْتُ بِأَخِيكَ [I passed by thy brother, &c.], and رَأَيْتُ أَخَاكَ [I saw thy brother, &c.] : (S: [in which it is also asserted that one does not say أَخُو without prefixing it to another noun; but this is inconsistent with the assertion of IAar and F, that الأَخُو is a syn. of الأَخُ:]) the dual is أَخَوَانِ, (S, Msb, Kur xlix. 10, Ham p. 434,) or أَخْوَانِ, with the خ quiescent, (TA, [but this I have found nowhere else,]) and some of the Arabs say أَخَانِ, (S, Msb,) and Kr mentions أَخُوَانِ, with damm to the خ, said by IB to occur in poetry, and held by ISd to be dual of أَخُو, with damm to the خ: (TA:) the pl. is إِخْوَةٌ and إِخْوَانٌ, (S, Msb, K, &c.,) the former generally applied to brothers, and the latter to friends [or the like], (T, S,*) but not always, as in the Kur xlix. 10, where the former does not denote relationship, and in xxiv. 60 of the same, where the latter does denote relationship, (T, TA,) and sometimes the former is applied to a [single] man, as in the Kur iv. 12, (S,) and أُخْوَةٌ, (Fr, S, Msb, K, [in the CK اَخْوَةٌ,]) or this is a quasi-pl. n., (Sb, TA,) and أُخْوَانٌ, (Kr, Msb, K,) and آخَآءٌ, (S, K,) like آبَآءٌ, (S,) and أُخُوٌّ, and أُخُوَّةٌ, (ISd, K,) the last mentioned by Lh, and thought by ISd to be formed from the next preceding by the addition of ة characterizing the pl. as fem., (TA,) and أَخُونَ, (S, Msb, K,) and اخاوون. (Msb: [there written without any syll. signs, and I have not found it elsewhere.]) The fem. of أَخٌ is ↓ أُخْتٌ [meaning A sister: and (assumed tropical:) a female friend, &c.]: (S, Msb, K, &c. :) written with damm to show that the letter which has gone from it is و; (S;) the ت being a substitute for the و; (TA;) not to denote the fem. gender, (K, TA,) because the letter next before it is quiescent: this is the opinion of Sb, and [accord. to SM] it is the correct opinion: for Sb says that if you were to use it as a proper name of a man, you would make it perfectly decl.; and if the ت were to denote the fem. gender, the name would not be perfectly decl.; though in one place he incidentally says that it is the sign of the fem. gender, through inadvertence: Kh, however, says that its ت is [originally] ه [meaning ة]: and Lth, that أُخْتٌ is originally أَخَةٌ: and some say that it is originally أَخْوَةٌ: (TA:) the dual. is أُخْتَانِ: (Kh:) and the pl. is أَخَوَاتٌ. (Kh, S, Msb, K.) The saying لَا أَخَالَكَ بِفُلَانٍ [Thou hast no brother, or (assumed tropical:) friend, in such a one] means لَيْسَ لَكَ بِأَخٍ [such a one is not a brother, or friend, to thee]. (S, K.) It is said in a prov., مَنْ لَكَ بِأَخِيكَ كُلِّهِ [Who will be responsible to thee for thy brother, or (assumed tropical:) thy friend, altogether? i. e., for his always acting to thee as a brother, or friend]. (JK.) And in another, رُبَّ أَخٍ لَكَ لَمْ تَلِدْهُ أُمُّكَ [(assumed tropical:) There is many a brother to thee whom thy mother has not brought forth]. (TA.) And in another, أَخُوكَ أَمِ الذَّئْبُ [Is it thy brother, or the wolf?]; said in suspecting a thing: as also أَخُوكَ أَمِ اللَّيْلُ [Is it thy brother, or is it the night that deceives thee?]. (Har p. 554.) And another saying is, الرُّمْحُ أَخُوكَ وَرُبَّمَا خَانَكَ [(assumed tropical:) The spear is thy brother, but sometimes, or often, it is unfaithful to thee]. (TA.) b2: Ibn-'Arafeh says that when أُخُوَّةٌ does not relate to birth, it means conformity, or similarity; and combination, agreement, or unison, in action: hence the saying, هذَا الثَّوْبُ أَخُو هذَا [(assumed tropical:) This garment, or piece of cloth, is the like, or fellow, of this] : and hence the saying in the Kur [xvii. 29], كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ (assumed tropical:) They are the likes, or fellows, of the devils: and in the same [xliii. 47], ↓ إِلَّا هِىَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أُخْتِهَا (assumed tropical:) But it was greater than its like, or fellow; i. e., than what was like to it in truth &c. (TA.) It is said in a trad., النَّوْمُ

أَخُ المَوْتِ [Sleep is the like of death]. (El-Jámi' es-Sagheer.) One says also, لَقِىَ فُلَانٌ أَخَا المَوْتِ (assumed tropical:) Such a one met with the like of death. (Msb, TA.) And they said, لَهَا ↓ وَمَاهُ آللّٰهُ بِلَيْلَپٍ لَا أُخْتَ [(assumed tropical:) God afflicted him with a night having none like to it], i. e., a night in which he should die. (TA.) and لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا أَخَا السِّرارِ (assumed tropical:) I will not speak to him save the like of secret discourse. (As, TA.) [and hence,] سُهَيْلٍ ↓ أُخْتَا [(assumed tropical:) The two sisters of Canopus;] the two stars called الشّعْرَى العَبُورُ and الشّعْرَى

الغُمَيْصَآءُ. (S and K in art. شعر, q. v.) b3: يَاَ أَخَا بَكْرٍ, or تَمِيمٍ, means (assumed tropical:) O thou of [the tribe of] Bekr, or Temeem. (Ham p. 284.) b4: Lh mentions, on the authority of Abu-d-Deenár and Ibn-Ziyád, the saying, القُمْمُ بِأَخِى الشَّرَّ, as meaning (assumed tropical:) The people, or company of men, are in an evil state or condition. (TA.) [But accord. to others,] one says, تَرَكْتُهُ بِأَخِى الخَيْرِ, meaning (tropical:) I left him in an evil state or condition: (JK, * Msb, K, TA:) and بِأَخِى الشَّرِّ (tropical:) in a good state or condition. (TA.) b5: You say also, هُوَأَخُو الصَّدْقِ (assumed tropical:) He is one who cleaves, or keeps, to veracity. (Msb.) b6: [أِخُو, as a prefixed noun, is also used in the sense of أَهْلُ, meaning (assumed tropical:) Worthy, or deserving, of a thing: and meet, fit, or fitted, for it. So in the phrase أَخُو ثِقَةٍ (assumed tropical:) Worthy, or deserving, of trust, or confidence; expl. by W (p. 91) as meaning a person in whom one trusts, or confides. And so in the prov., لَيْسَ أَخُو الكِظَاظِ مَنْ يَسْأَمُهُ (assumed tropical:) He who is fit, or fitted, for vehement striving for the mastery is not he who turns away from it with disgust: see art. كظ.] b7: It is also used in the sense of ذُو: as in the phrase, هُوَأَخُو الغِنَى [(assumed tropical:) He is possessed, or a possessor, of wealth, or competence, or sufficiency]. (Msb.) [So too in the phrase, أَخُو الخَيْرِ (assumed tropical:) Possessed, or a possessor, of good, or of what is good. And in like manner,] أَخُو الخَنَعِ means [ذُو الخَنَعِ, i. e. ذُو الذِّلَّةِ, i. e.] الّــذَّلِيلُ [(assumed tropical:) The low, base, or abject]. (Ham p. 44.) [So too] سَيْرُنَا

أَخُو الجِيْدِ means [سَيْرُنَا ذُوالجَيْدِ, i. e.] سَيْرُنَا جَاهِدٌ [(assumed tropical:) Our journeying is laborious: see an ex. in the first paragraph of art. غدر]. (TA.) b8: حُمَّى

الأَخَوَيْنِ (assumed tropical:) A fever that affects the patient two days, and quits him two days; or that attacks on Saturday, and quits for three days, and comes [again] on Thursday; and so on. (Msb.) b9: دَمُ الأَخَوَيْنِ: see دَمٌ, in art. دمى.

أَخًا:see أَخٌ.

أَخْوٌ:see أَخٌ.

أَخُو:see أَخٌ.

أُخْتٌ: see أَخٌ, in four places.

أُخَيٌّ and أُخَيَّةٌ dims. of أَخٌ and أُخْتٌ.]

أَخَوِيٌّ Brotherly; fraternal; of, or relating to, a brother, and a friend or companion: and also, sisterly; of, or relating to, a sister; because you say أَخَوَاتٌ [meaning “sisters”]; but Yoo used to say ↓ أُخْتِىُّ, which is not agreeable with analogy. (S, TA.) أُخْتِىُّ: see أَخَوِىُّ.

إِخْوَانٌ, besides being a pl. of أَخٌ, q. v., is a dial. var. of خِوَانٌ. (TA. [See art. خون.]) إِخَاوَةٌ: see 3.

أُخُوَّهٌ an inf. n. of 1: and also [used as] a simple subst. (TA.) See 1. b2: When it does not relate to birth, it means (assumed tropical:) Conformity, or similarity; and combination, agreement, or unison, in action. (Ibn-'Arafeh, TA.) آخِيَّةٌ, (Lth, S, Msb, K, &c.,) originally of the measure فَاعُولَةٌ, [i. e. آخُويَةٌ,] (Msb,) and آخِيَةٌ, (Lth, Msb, K,) and أَخِيَّةٌ, (JK, K, TA, [but in the K the orthography of these three words is differently expressed in different copies, and somewhat obscurely in all that I have seen,]) A piece of rope of which the two ends are buried in the ground, (ISk, JK, S,) with a small staff or stick, or a small stone, attached thereto, (ISK, S,) a portion thereof, resembling a loop, being apparent, or exposed, to which the beast is tied; (ISk, JK, S;) it is made in soft ground, as being more commodious to horses than pegs, or stakes, protruding from the ground, and more firm in soft ground than the peg, or stake: (TA:) or a loop tied to a peg, or stake, driven [into the ground], to which the beast is attached: (Msb:) or a stick, or piece of wood, (K, TA,) placed crosswise (TA) in a wall, or in a rope of which the two ends are buried in the ground, the [other] end [or portion] protruding, like a ring, to which the beast is tied: (K, TA:) or a peg, or stake, to which horses are tied: (Har p. 42:) [see also آرِىُّ:] the pl. of the first is أَوَاخِىُّ; (JK, S, Msb, K;*) and of the second, أوَاخٍ; (Msb;) and of the third, أَخَايَا, (JK, K,*) like as خَطَايَا is pl. of خَطِيَّةٌ. (TA.) In a trad., the believer and belief are likened to a horse attached to his آخيّة; because the horse wheels about, and then returns to his آخيّة; and the believer is heedless, and then returns to believe. (TA.) And in another, men are forbidden to make their backs like the أَخَايَا of beasts; i. e., in prayer; meaning that they should not arch them therein, so as to make them like the loops thus called. (TA.) b2: Also i. q. طُنُبٌ; (K;) i. e. The kind of tent-rope thus called. (TA in art. طنب, q. v.) b3: And (assumed tropical:) A sacred, or an inviolable, right or the like; syn. حُرْمَةٌ and ذِمَّةٌ. (S, K.) You say, لِفُلَانٍ أَوَاخِىُّ وَأَسْبَابٌ تُرْعَى [(assumed tropical:) To such a one belong sacred, or inviolable, rights, and ties of relationship and love, to be regarded]. (S.) And لَهُ عِنْدِى آجِيَّةٌ (assumed tropical:) He has, with me, or in my estimation, a strong, sacred, or inviolable, right; and a near tie or connexion, or means of access or intimacy or ingratiation. (TA.) b4: In a trad. of 'Omar, in which it is related that he said to El-'Abbás, أَنْتَ آخِيَّةُ آبَآءِ رَسُولِ اَللّٰهِ, it is used in the sense of بَقِيَّةَ; [and the words may therefore be rendered Thou art the most excellent of the ancestors of the Apostle of God;] as though he meant, thou art he upon whom one stays himself, and to whom one clings, of the stock of the Apostle of God. (TA.)