THE MIRROR AND THE MANIFESTATION: ANALYZING MIRZA GHALIB’S CONCEPT OF REALITY THROUGH THE LENS OF TAJALLI

Abstract

Mirza Ghalib (1779-1869) is one of the most influential and leading poets in Urdu literature. His poetry is a compendium of philosophy, faith, secularism, and gnosis, which is quite paradoxical. In his metaphysics, his epistemology creates a distinct dichotomy between the seen and the unseen. It explores and hints at the creation and the Creator sailing through the waves of real and unreal. The present study investigates his poetry in light of Ibn-e-Arabi’s (11-65-1240) lens of Tajalli or the metaphor of the mirror. It explores how Ghalib creates a difference between the worlds. What is his idea of reality, and how does he achieve affirmation of the attributes of God as the prime source of His creation? How does the universe, as a self-disclosure of God, find expression in his poetry? Moreover, the study debates that Ghalib’s concept of reality holdsthe attributes of God at the heart of His creation, which serves as a mirror which reflects His attributes. The study finds that for Ghalib, this world of matter is unreal because it was brought to existence; moreover, it will come to an end; therefore, all perceivable realities are unreal. The only Real is God. He wished to be known; therefore, He created the universe, which is in fact a mirror to reflect His tajallis. The beauty in the universe is the beauty of His beautiful names.