Word Meaning
एहतेलाम
ihtilām
Meaning
Nocturnal emission; a wet dream during sleep.
Detailed Meaning
In traditional physiology and Islamic jurisprudence, 'ihtilām' refers to involuntary nocturnal emission occurring in sleep, commonly associated with the onset of puberty. In this satirical couplet, the word is deployed with stark irreverence to mock the Sheikh's purported sanctity and expose earthly lust behind a facade of piety.
Etymology
Arabic (اِحْتِلَام), an active participle / verbal noun from the root ح-ل-م (ḥ-l-m), meaning to dream or to reach physical maturity.
Usage
Uncommon in delicate romantic ghazals, this term occurs primarily in bawdy (hazl) or satirical verses to puncture the moral pretenses of ascetics.
Examples
A troubled mind brought on nocturnal emission in the dead of night.
The purity of dawn was broken by a nocturnal dream.