المعنى الاصطلاحي :

A small nocturnal bird.

الشرح المختصر :

“Haamah” (a nocturnal bird) is a type of bird that comes out at night, like owls. People in the pre-Islamic era held two false beliefs with regard to the "haamah": 1. They believed that if someone was killed, then his bones and soul would become a "haamah" that would come out of the grave, fly, and scream until revenge would be taken on the one who killed him. This is similar to the belief of reincarnation, that there is no resurrection or reckoning, but the souls of the dead are transferred to the bodies of animals. This belief is completely invalid and Islam has declared it a lie and false. 2. They believed that if a "haamah" landed on someone's house pecking and screeching, then the owner of that house would die, this being a sign of his imminent death, so they used to consider it an evil omen. When some ignorant people hear this bird crow, they say words indicating their belief in "haamah" as an evil omen. This is considered a religious innovation that could even be polytheism if one believes that it is something that causes calamities or harm.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

"Haamah": head. Other meanings: chief, carcass, a small nocturnal bird that likes to frequent graveyards, the owl.