Word Meaning
ताअत
ta'at
Meaning
Obedience, religious devotion, or worship; submission to divine commands.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Islamic literary traditions, 'ta'at' signifies pious devotion, worship, and faithful submission to divine ordinances. In this couplet, it represents formal religious observance paired with ascetic renunciation (zohd), whose spiritual merit the poet acknowledges rationally yet avoids emotionally. It reflects the recurring tension between orthodox piety and the poet's non-conformist temperament.
Etymology
Arabic root ṭ-w-ʿ (ط-و-ع), denoting obedience, compliance, or willing submission (from 'ṭāʿah').
Usage
In the ghazal, 'ta'at' is conventionally contrasted with intense love (ishq) and the carefree, non-conformist path of wine and passion (rindi).
Examples
the reward of obedience and devotion
worship without genuine feeling