Word Meaning
अव्वल
avval
Meaning
First, beginning, foremost, or primordial; an eternal attribute of the Divine.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry and Sufi thought, 'avval' denotes that which is first, foremost, or without any prior origin. In this couplet, it alludes directly to the Quranic divine attribute 'Al-Awwal' (The First), declaring God as the uncaused beginning of all existence. Paired antithetically with 'ākhir' (the end), it conveys totality and divine eternity.
Etymology
Arabic 'awwal' (أَوَّل), meaning 'first', 'primary', or 'beginning'.
Usage
In ghazal and mystical verse, it is routinely paired with 'ākhir' (last) to invoke the cosmological extremes of beginning and end.
Examples
From the first breath to the last, love was our only path.
Thou art the first, and Thou art the last in all creation.