Word Meaning
जमाअत
jamā'at
Meaning
A congregation, community, assembly, or collective religious body.
Detailed Meaning
In general usage, 'jamā'at' denotes an assembly, group, or collective body of people, particularly a religious congregation. In the given couplet, it represents the entire community or followers whose guidance is entrusted to the orator (khatīb). The poet laments the bleak destiny awaiting the collective community because its leader has become lost in abstract, theoretical disputes.
Etymology
Arabic origin, from 'jamā'ah' (جماعة), derived from the root j-m-‘ (ج-م-ع) meaning 'to gather' or 'to unite'.
Usage
In Urdu poetry, especially of a philosophical or reformist nature, it often contrasts the collective socio-religious body with the solitary, enlightened individual.
Examples
The unity of the congregation was broken by disputes.
A lone wanderer estranged from the congregation.