रुत्बा

Meaning

Rank, status, dignity, degree, or elevated position.

Detailed Meaning

In classical Urdu poetry, 'rutba' signifies a person's dignity, social prestige, or spiritual elevation. In this couplet, it implies that true honor paradoxically stems from humility, showing that no rank surpasses that achieved through utter self-effacement.

Etymology

Arabic رُتْبَة (rutbah), denoting rank, grade, station, or degree.

Usage

Often paired in ghazal with motifs of humility or dust to contrast divine/spiritual elevation with empty worldly standing.

Examples

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