وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ
“(I swear) By the sky possessing Hubuk”
حُبُك is the plural of حَبِيكَة (Habeekah). Three core meanings unfold below.
The verb حَبَكَ is used to mean to pull something tight or precisely and well so that it is tight, like when a rope is tied around something firmly or when something is weaved together tightly and compactly.
It is also used to mean that a garment has been weaved together well, one weave at a time, and in an excellent manner. حَبِيكَة (Habeekah) also refers to a braid or weave in the hair or hair that is wavy and curly.
The حُبُك of رَمْل (Raml – “Sand”) is used to describe the wave-like patterns that are formed on sand when the wind passes over it. The same applies to waves and ripples in the water caused by the wind. From this the idea of pathways came in the case where the weaves and waves are pathways. The clouds sometimes form streaks and these can also be referred to as being حُبُك.
Allah is swearing by the sky that possesses these حُبُك “Hubuk”.
All three meanings can be correlated to the sky. That it is a beautiful tapestry that has been put together with precision and excellence.
The previous verses about the winds describe a tightly bound interconnected system. It is as if this wind system is like a rope that ties around this planet.
Patterns and textures referenced in the explanations of حُبُك.