Word Meaning
कुफ़्र
kufr
Meaning
Disbelief, infidelity, heresy, or rejection of religious truth.
Detailed Meaning
In theological terminology, 'kufr' signifies the rejection or concealment of divine truth, disbelief, or blasphemy. In classical Urdu poetry, it frequently appears in contrast with 'iman' (faith), often romanticized as the lover's radical unorthodoxy. In this couplet, it represents an act deemed religiously improper or forbidden to perform in the mosque during an earlier phase of life.
Etymology
Arabic root k-f-r (literally meaning to cover or conceal; hence, to deny divine truth).
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, poets frequently praise kufr ironically to mock the hypocrisy of the ascetic (zahid) and elevate passionate love over formal orthodoxy.
Examples
the tension between iman and kufr
treating the lover's tresses as sacred kufr