Word Meaning
ख़तीब
khatīb
Meaning
A public speaker, orator, or preacher delivering a religious sermon.
Detailed Meaning
The term refers to an orator or preacher, particularly the one who delivers the Friday sermon (khutbah) in a mosque. In this couplet, it signifies a religious guide or community orator who is lost in theoretical disputes rather than providing practical direction. Urdu poetry often portrays the figure as overly formalistic or detached from inner spiritual realities.
Etymology
Arabic, derived from the root خ-ط-ب (kh-t-b), relating to addressing an audience or delivering an oration.
Usage
In classical ghazal and nazm, the khatib is typically contrasted with the freethinking lover (rind) as a figure of formal orthodoxy.
Examples
The speech of the khatib stirred the silent crowd.
The khatib remained lost in abstract arguments from the pulpit.