Qāfiya (from Arabic: قافية qāfiya, lit. 'rhyme'; Persian: قافیہ; Azerbaijani: qafiyə; Urdu: قافیہ; Uzbek: qofiya) is the classical Islamic prosodic term for rhyme.

Originating as a foundational element of classical Arabic poetry, the qāfiya establishes the rhyming pattern at the end of a poetic verse. When this concept was later adapted into the ghazal traditions of Persian, Turkic, and Urdu literature, it retained its core function as the primary rhyme. However, in these specific non-Arabic traditions, if a poem utilizes a radif (a repeating word or phrase at the very end of the line), the qāfiya must directly precede it.[1][2][3]

References

  1. ^ "The history, art and performance of ghazal in Hindustani sangeet". Daily Times. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. ^ Kanda, K. C. (1995). Urdu Ghazals: An Anthology, from 16th to 20th Century. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-207-1826-5.
  3. ^ Afroz Taj (2007). The Court of Indar and the Rebirth of North Indian Drama. Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Hind). p. 151. ISBN 978-81-7160-133-2.