Word Meaning
सूफ़ियों
sūfiyoñ
Meaning
Sufis, Islamic mystics, or ascetics (plural oblique form).
Detailed Meaning
'Sufiyon' refers to Sufis or Islamic mystics devoted to spiritual contemplation and asceticism. In this couplet, it designates monastery-dwelling ascetics whose wine-gourds are empty of genuine ecstasy or divine sustenance, contrasting with the speaker's modest vessel. It underscores the poetic trope of exposing hollow ritualism within organized religious spaces.
Etymology
Arabic origin, derived from 'ṣūf' (صوف, coarse wool), referencing early ascetics who wore woolen robes.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, the Sufi or ascetic is frequently satirized alongside the Zahid as an emblem of dry, hypocritical piety versus the sincere intoxicated lover.
Examples
The gathering of the Sufis in the sanctuary
Passing the cup among the sober Sufis