zaheed: ascetic

Description of zaheed: Zaheed is an Arabic-origin word adopted into Urdu, meaning an ascetic, hermit, or one who abstains from worldly pleasures to pursue spiritual devotion. Unlike a monk bound by monastic vows and communal rituals, a zaheed often lives independently, embracing solitude without formal institutional ties. Differs from a fakir, who may beg for sustenance while wandering; the zaheed typically shuns such dependency for self-reliant renunciation. In Urdu poetry, like Allama Iqbal's