انقلب على عقبيه

Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in.qa.la.ba ʕa.laː ʕa.qi.baj.hi/

Verb

اِنْقَلَبَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ • (inqalaba ʕalā ʕaqibayhi) VII (non-past يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ (yanqalibu ʕalā ʕaqibayhi)) (intransitive)

1. (idiomatic) to turn on one's heel, to turn tail

   Synonyms: نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ (nakaṣa ʕalā ʕaqibayhi), اِرْتَدَّ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ (irtadda ʕalā ʕaqibayhi), اِرْتَدَّ عَلَى دُبُرِهِ (irtadda ʕalā duburihi)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 3:144:

     وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ ٱنْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ

     wamā muḥammadun ʔillā rasūlun qad ḵalat min qablihi r-rusulu ʔafaʔin māta ʔaw qutila nqalabtum ʕalā ʔaʕqābikum waman yanqalib ʕalā ʕaqibayhi falan yaḍurra l-laha šayʔan wasayajzī llāhu š-šākirīna

     Muḥammad is no more than a messenger; other messengers have gone before him. If he were to die or to be killed, would you regress into disbelief? Those who do so will not harm Allah whatsoever. And Allah will reward those who are grateful.