Word Meaning
मुसल्ला
musallā
Meaning
A prayer mat or rug used for Islamic prayer (namaz).
Detailed Meaning
Musalla refers to a prayer rug or any clean mat/cloth spread out to perform Islamic prayers. In Urdu poetry, particularly in satirical verses directed at the preacher (wa'iz) or ascetic (zahid), it symbolizes outward piety, ascetic pretensions, or religious paraphernalia. In this couplet, it represents the preacher's prized religious gear, mocked as being casually pawned away at the tavern.
Etymology
Arabic, derived from the root ṣ-l-w (ص-ل-و), related to 'salat' (prayer); grammatically a noun of place/instrument denoting a place where prayer is performed.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, the musalla is routinely juxtaposed with wine and the tavern (maikhana) to subvert formal ritualism and mock the hypocritical preacher.
Examples
pawning the prayer rug for a cup of wine
the preacher seated in pride upon his prayer mat