The word nabaʾ has been translated as hidden reality. A lot has been said about the
difference between the meaning of this word and khabar, which also means the same thing but not entirely.
Linguistically, nabaʾ is news that was previously unknown, while khabar is news that
is already known beforehand and recounted to the person. Nabaʾ at its root was used for a flood that came from another land, an animal that arrived from another place as well as for a sudden surprise attack. The core meaning is for something unknown to emerge or appear.3 When somebody suddenly notices the arrival of a flood or a wild animal, he originally does not know where it came from just as a surprise attack is hidden at first, and later carried out and revealed.
Now the Qurʾān has not specified what they are mockingly asking each other about. It simply calls it nabaʾ because it will come upon them all of a sudden, and catch them off guard like a surprise attack.
The Qurʾān will not specify what nabaʾ precisely is but as you will see, the Qurʾān will display incredible eloquence by answering their question, not by addressing it directly, but precisely by not specifying what they are asking.
Regarding the great hidden news
The word nabaʾ has been translated as hidden reality. A lot has been said about the
difference between the meaning of this word and khabar, which also means the same thing but not entirely.
Linguistically, nabaʾ is news that was previously unknown, while khabar is news that
is already known beforehand and recounted to the person. Nabaʾ at its root was used for a flood that came from another land, an animal that arrived from another place as well as for a sudden surprise attack. The core meaning is for something unknown to emerge or appear.3 When somebody suddenly notices the arrival of a flood or a wild animal, he originally does not know where it came from just as a surprise attack is hidden at first, and later carried out and revealed.
Now the Qurʾān has not specified what they are mockingly asking each other about. It simply calls it nabaʾ because it will come upon them all of a sudden, and catch them off guard like a surprise attack.
The Qurʾān will not specify what nabaʾ precisely is but as you will see, the Qurʾān will display incredible eloquence by answering their question, not by addressing it directly, but precisely by not specifying what they are asking.
3 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. 559