Word Meaning
अजल
azal
Meaning
Pre-eternity, eternity without beginning; the dawn of creation.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'azal' (often printed without nuqta as 'ajal' in Hindi) designates pre-eternity or the time before the beginning of creation. In this couplet, it appears in the compound 'soorat-gar-e-azal' (the Eternal Painter or Divine Creator), praising the supreme artistry that crafted the beloved's razor-sharp eyebrows at the dawn of existence.
Etymology
Arabic (root a-z-l, denoting eternity without beginning; often conflated in orthography with a-j-l denoting appointed time).
Usage
It is often contrasted with 'abad' (eternity without end) or joined in phrases concerning destiny and divine creation.
Examples
What was decreed at the dawn of pre-eternity cannot be altered.
The journey of love stretches from pre-eternity to post-eternity.