Ansar

American  

[an-sahr] / ˈæn sɑr /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. the first inhabitants of Medina to accept Islam.

2. any of those who helped Muhammad after he began his preaching.

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Other Word Forms

• Ansarian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Ansar

< Arabic anṣār, plural of nāṣir helper

Example Sentences

Ansar Allah’s informal name, Houthis, comes from the surname of the late political and religious leader, Hussein Badreddin Houthi.

From Los Angeles Times

Since the Houthis - also known as Ansar Allah - seized control of the capital, Sanaa, from the government in 2014, then extended their grip over northern and western areas, humanitarian workers have been closely monitored and sometimes harassed.

From BBC

"It became impossible to operate, because any NGO operation that involved any material support to Ansar Allah became illegal," says an official at an international NGO, who requested anonymity.

From BBC

In 1884, the redoubtable Burnaby volunteered for service in the Sudan, where the governor-general, Charles Gordon, had been besieged in the capital Khartoum by the Ansar followers of Muhammad Ahmed, the self-proclaimed Mahdi; called “Dervishes” by the British, they had embarked upon a jihad to overthrow Egyptian rule of the territory.

From The Wall Street Journal

He also reactivated the Ansar al-Afifat brigade, which was tasked with gathering intelligence inside the camp and recruiting youths, U.N. investigators said.

From The Wall Street Journal