Word Meaning
तक़्वा
taqwa
Meaning
Piety, devoutness, godliness, and religious abstinence.
Detailed Meaning
Taqwa denotes religious righteousness, ascetic restraint, and the conscious avoidance of sin out of reverence for God. In this couplet, it embodies the Sheikh's formal, orthodox piety, which the poet satirically advises him to barter away in exchange for wine. It functions as the antithesis of the intoxicated freedom celebrated in mystical and lyrical ghazal tradition.
Etymology
Arabic تَقْوَى (taqwā), derived from the triconsonantal root w-q-y (و-ق-ی), meaning to guard against or preserve oneself.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, taqwa is frequently juxtaposed satirically with riñdi (libertinism) and wine to subvert rigid clerical pretensions.
Examples
The facade of taqwa dissolved in the tavern.
He surrendered all his taqwa for the sake of love.