HATIF

in Arab folklore, a mysterious nocturnal voice that is sometimes prophetic. A hatif is mentioned in the Bible (Ezekiel 21:2 and 7; Amos 7:16) as a prophet's voice, and it seems to have presaged Muhammad's prophetic mission. It is said that the hatif can rise from within a calf sacrificed to an idol or from the idol itself. The Bedouin believe that it most often announces the death of some prominent figure, and it is said to have foretold the Prophet Muhammad's death. According to tradition, Iblis, the devil, disguised himself as a hatif and, after Muhammad's death, attempted to prevent 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, from ritually washing Muhammad's dead body; a true hatif appeared, however, and saved 'Ali from grave sin. In modern Arabic the word hatif means telephone.