A kind of flat fish (sole?), also ikan lidah-lidah and lĕlidah, probably derived from lidah, a
tongue, owing to its shape. This fish is sometimes called sisa Nabi, or the “Prophet’s leavings,”
the story being that it had originally the same amount of flesh on both sides, but that the
Prophet Muhammad, having eaten the whole side of one of these fish (which had been cooked
and served up to him as a meal) cast the remaining side back into the sea, whereupon it revived
and commenced swimming about as if nothing had happened, retaining, however, the shape of
a flat fish to the present day.
Cp. the following note in Sale’s Translation of the Korân:—
“This miracle is thus related by the commentators. Jesus having, at the request of his followers,
asked it of God, a red table immediately descended, in their sight, between two clouds, and was
set before them, whereupon he rose up, and having made the ablution, prayed, and then took
off the cloth which covered the table, saying, In the name of God, the best provider of food.
What the provisions were with which this table was furnished is a matter wherein the
expositors are not agreed. One will have them to be nine cakes of bread and nine fishes;
another, bread and flesh; another, all sorts of food, except flesh; another, all sorts of food
except bread and flesh; another, all except bread and fish; another, one fish, which had the taste
of all manner of food; and another, fruits of paradise, but the most received tradition is that
when the table was uncovered, there appeared a fish ready dressed, without scales or prickly
fins, dropping with fat, having salt placed at its head and vinegar at its tail, and round it all
sorts of herbs, except leeks, and five loaves of bread, on one of which there were olives, on the
second honey, on the third butter, on the fourth, cheese, and on the fifth, dried flesh. They add
that Jesus, at the request of the apostles, showed them another miracle, by restoring the fish to
life, and causing its scales and fins to return to it, at which the standers-by being affrighted, he
caused it to become as before; that 1300 men and women, all afflicted with bodily infirmities
or poverty, ate of these provisions and were satisfied, the fish remaining whole as it was at
first; that then the table flew up to heaven in the sight of all; and every one who had partaken
of this food were delivered from their infirmities and misfortunes; and that it continued to
descend for forty days together at dinner-time, and stood on the ground till the sun declined,
and was then taken up into the clouds. Some of the Mohammedan writers are of opinion that
this table did not really descend, but that it was only a parable; but most think the words of the
Koran are plain to the contrary. A further tradition is, that several men were changed into
swine for disbelieving this miracle, and attributing it to magic art; or, as others pretend, for
stealing some of the victuals from off it. Several other fabulous circumstances are also told
which are scarce worth transcribing.”—Sale’s Korân Trans. ch. v. p. 87, note. ↑
310
Maxwell in J.R.A.S., S.B., No. 7, p. 26. ↑