Word Meaning
ज़वाल
zawaal
Meaning
Decline, downfall, decay, or setting of a celestial body.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu literature, 'zawal' denotes a state of descent, degradation, or passing from glory into ruin. In Iqbal's couplet, it refers to the fall and earthly fragility of mortal Adam ('zawal-e-aadam-e-khaaki'), posing whether humanity's descent is a loss to God or to humanity itself. It stands conceptually opposite to 'urooj' (ascent or peak).
Etymology
Arabic root z-w-l (ز-و-ل), relating to departing, declining, or vanishing (as of the sun past its zenith).
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'zawal' is most frequently paired antithetically with 'urooj' to contemplate the transient nature of worldly power and fortune.
Examples
Every ascent inevitably faces a decline.
The downfall of mortal humanity is a cosmic loss.