Word Meaning
रियाई
riyaa'ii
Meaning
Hypocrisy, pretense, ostentation, or deceit in religious practice.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'riya'i' denotes religious dissimulation, ostentation, or outward show of virtue meant to impress others. In this couplet, the poet interrogates asceticism ('zohd'), arguing that even if ascetic devotion is free of insincerity and pretense ('riya'i'), it remains flawed by the raw appetite for divine reward.
Etymology
From Arabic 'riyā' (ریاء, meaning ostentation or hypocrisy) combined with the Persian noun-forming suffix '-ī'.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, poets routinely criticize the preacher or ascetic for his 'riya'i', contrasting his hypocritical piety with the honest flaw of the intoxicated lover.
Examples
piety tainted with pretense
the deceit and hypocrisy of the ascetic