Word Meaning
हिजाज़
Hijāz
Meaning
The Hijaz region in Arabia, symbolizing the holy cradle of Islam.
Detailed Meaning
Hijaz refers to the western coastal region of the Arabian Peninsula, containing the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. In Urdu poetry, particularly in the verse of Allama Iqbal, it stands as a potent metonym for the golden age, spiritual origin, and moral destiny of the Islamic world. In this couplet, the 'silence of Hijaz' awakening signifies a spiritual revival and the fulfillment of an enduring covenant made with the desert dwellers.
Etymology
Arabic root ح-ج-ز (ḥ-j-z), meaning 'barrier' or 'separation', so named because it separates the Najd plateau from the lowland Tihamah.
Usage
In classical and modern Urdu poetry, Hijaz is used metonymically for spiritual purity, Islamic resurgence, and divine devotion rather than just geographical terrain.
Examples
The yearning heart longs for the dust of Hijaz.
The caravan turned its face toward the winds of Hijaz.