Word Meaning
मिम्बर
mimbar
Meaning
A pulpit or elevated platform in a mosque for sermons.
Detailed Meaning
A minbar is the stepped pulpit in a mosque from which the imam or khatib delivers the sermon. In this couplet, it appears alongside 'mehraab' to symbolize the sanctum and institutions of Islamic worship that now mourn the loss of sincere, earth-shaking devotion. It reflects spiritual desolation where physical structures of faith remain, but the true spirit of worship has vanished.
Etymology
Arabic مَنْبَر (manbar), derived from the root ن-ب-ر (n-b-r) meaning 'to raise' or 'to elevate'.
Usage
In Urdu poetry, minbar frequently symbolizes formal orthodoxy and sermons, often juxtaposed ironically against the tavern (maikhana) or mystical love.
Examples
minbar and arch weep for true devotion
the sermon rang out from the solemn minbar