Word Meaning
हाल
Hāl
Meaning
condition, state, circumstance, the present, mystical ecstasy/trance
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu-Hindi poetry, 'Hāl' refers to one's present condition, state of affairs, or emotional/physical plight (such as 'Hāl-e-Dil', the state of the heart). In Sufi mysticism (Tasawwuf), it denotes a transient spiritual state of ecstasy, divine illumination, or mystical trance granted by the Divine.
Etymology
Arabic (حال - ḥāl), meaning 'condition, state, or present time'.
Usage
Widely used in ghazals in compounds like 'Hāl-e-Dil' (condition of the heart) or 'Hāl-e-Zār' (miserable plight), often contrasted with 'Maazi' (past) and 'Mustaqbil' (future).
Examples
Pūchhte hain vo ki 'Ghālib' kaun hai, koī batlāo ki ham batlāen kyā (context of revealing one's hāl/state)
Hāl-e-dil ham ne kahā to hāñs diye vo.