What need is there for wine at the Sheikh's feast? Even so, a little will be ordered just as a precaution.
This couplet is a delightful example of Urdu poetry's trademark satire aimed at the 'Sheikh', the symbol of rigid piety. On the surface, the speaker innocently asks why wine would ever be needed at the gathering of such an austere, holy man. But the playful twist in the second line—ordering a little 'just in case'—winks at the audience, cheekily unmasking the private frailties and hypocrisy that often lurk behind public self-righteousness.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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