Word Meaning
सिफ़ात
sifāt
Meaning
Attributes, qualities, characteristics, or divine epithets; plural of sifat.
Detailed Meaning
In Islamic theology and Sufi poetics, 'sifāt' refers to the divine attributes or manifestations through which God is perceived in the phenomenal universe, as opposed to 'zāt' (the unknowable Divine Essence). In this couplet, Ghalib juxtaposes the goblet of external attributes (paimāna-e-sifāt) with the wine of essence (may-e-zāt), suggesting that the true mystic partakes of the manifestation to be intoxicated by the essence.
Etymology
Arabic: plural of 'sifah' (صِفَة), derived from the root w-s-f (و-ص-ف), relating to description, quality, or attribute.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, 'sifāt' is almost invariably paired against 'zāt' to explore theological distinctions between appearance and underlying reality.
Examples
From the attributes one seeks the path to the hidden essence.
Beyond form and attributes lies the eternal reality.