Word Meaning
ईफ़ा
īfā
Meaning
Fulfillment, redemption, or honoring of a promise or obligation.
Detailed Meaning
'Īfā' denotes the fulfillment, execution, or honoring of an obligation or promise. In this couplet, it forms the compound 'īfā-e-ahad' (fulfillment of the vow), expressing the tragic irony that the lover's life ended before the beloved's promised fidelity could be realized.
Etymology
Arabic إيفاء (īfā’), verbal noun of form IV from the root و-ف-ي (w-f-y), signifying completeness, fidelity, or fulfilling a covenant.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, it is most frequently encountered in the izafat construct 'īfā-e-ahad' to lament the delay or tragic brevity of life before a lover's promise is kept.
Examples
īfā-e-ahad kī ummīd (hope for the fulfillment of a pledge)
īfā-e-farz (discharge or performance of duty)