Word Meaning
फ़ज़्ल
fazl
Meaning
Divine grace, benevolence, favor, or bounty.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Islamic and Urdu literary traditions, 'fazl' denotes God's unmerited favor, benevolence, or divine grace. In the cited couplet by Mir, it appears in the izafat construct 'fazl-e-ilahi' (grace of God), where the poet ironically or intensely attributes his self-rending and inner torment to the bounty and will of the Divine. It underscores the spiritual view that even suffering and spiritual passion are bestowed through heavenly favor.
Etymology
Arabic origin from the triconsonantal root f-ḍ-l (ف-ض-ل), carrying the sense of surplus, virtue, excellence, or unearned bounty.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'fazl' is commonly compounded as 'fazl-e-ilahi' or 'fazl-e-khuda' to contrast divine benevolence with human helplessness.
Examples
By divine grace, every hardship became easy to bear.
Do not despair of His bounty even in total ruin.