Word Meaning
ज़हाद
zuhhād
Meaning
Ascetics, hermits, or devout worshippers (plural of zahid).
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'zuhhad' (spelled here as ज़हाद) is the Arabic broken plural of 'zahid', signifying ascetics, religious hermits, or puritans. In this couplet, the poet warns these ascetics that venturing towards the 'dair' (temple or tavern of love) is fraught with spiritual trial and is not as simple as an aunt's house ('khana-e-khala'). It underscores the classic poetic dichotomy between ascetic rigor and the perilous intoxication of divine love.
Etymology
Arabic broken plural (zuhhād) from the root z-h-d (ز-ه-د), relating to renunciation of worldly desires.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, ascetics are typically addressed as conventional, joyless figures contrasted against the intoxicated, sincere lover (rind).
Examples
O ascetics, do not speak of sobriety in the tavern.
What do rigid ascetics understand of love's ecstasy?