Word Meaning
इख़वान
Ikhwān
Meaning
Brothers, brethren, peers, or companions.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Arabic literature, 'ikhwan' functions as the broken plural of 'akh' (brother), denoting brethren, comrades, or fellow human beings. In this couplet, it appears in the construct 'ikhwan-e-zaman' ('brethren of the age'), referring to worldly contemporaries whose harshness the ascetic endures with grace. It captures the Sufi ethos of treating even hostile members of society with familial forgiveness and patience.
Etymology
Arabic, broken plural of 'akh' (brother), from the Semitic root ʾ-kh-w.
Usage
Commonly employed in formal or philosophical verse in izafat phrases like 'ikhwan-e-zaman' (contemporaries) or 'ikhwan-us-safa' (brethren of purity).
Examples
To dwell among pure-hearted brethren is a rare fortune.
Do not expect enduring loyalty from the brethren of this age.