Word Meaning
मस्जिद
masjid
Meaning
A mosque; an Islamic place of prostration and communal worship.
Detailed Meaning
In Islamic culture, a masjid is the sacred sanctuary dedicated to prayer and devotion. In classical Urdu poetry, it routinely represents institutional religion, ascetic discipline, and the domain of the pious Shaikh or Zahid. In this couplet, the beloved's passing before the mosque fatally disrupts the solemn piety and religious restraint of the Shaikh.
Etymology
Arabic 'masjid' (مَسْجِد), derived from the triconsonantal root s-j-d (to bow down or prostrate).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, the masjid is conventionally placed in sharp symbolic contrast with the maykada (tavern) to dramatize orthodox dogma versus ecstatic love.
Examples
masjid se maykade tak ka safar
qadam masjid ki taraf na uth sake