Word Meaning
ताअ'त
tā'at
Meaning
Obedience, religious devotion, worship, or submission to divine command.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'tā'at' signifies pious devotion, ritual worship, and obedience to God. It is often invoked alongside or contrasted with worldly failings, wine-drinking, and divine mercy (karam). In this couplet, it represents formal religious duty whose time was spent in the intoxication of wine, leaving the speaker entirely reliant on God's benevolence.
Etymology
Arabic root ط-و-ع (t-w-'), meaning obedience, voluntary compliance, or submission.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'tā'at' is frequently juxtaposed with 'gunāh' (sin) and 'masti' (ecstasy/intoxication) to emphasize divine mercy over self-righteous ritualism.
Examples
Not boasting of his tā'at, the sinner relied only on grace.
A lifetime spent in tā'at weighs nothing against genuine love.