Arabic · noun · Love & Longing

Hijr

हिज्र
said HIJ-r
also written: hijran, hijraan
Meaning

Separation, parting from the beloved; the ache of being apart.

Literally: separation, parting

Usage & notes

Hijr is the ache of being apart from the beloved — the long, sleepless interval that fills the ghazal with its sweetest pain. The tradition treasures it almost more than union, because in separation the heart burns brightest and the lover stays a lover. In Iqbal's register, distance from the Beloved (the Divine, or the ideal Self) is what keeps the self awake and yearning, so hijr becomes a spur to striving rather than mere grief.