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Urdunama

Urdunama

Written by: The Quint
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Bollywood songs turn us all into Grammy award-winning bathroom singers! But wait, do you know the meaning of every word you sing? Especially the ones in Urdu? On Urdunama, our host Fabeha Syed takes one word at a time and breaks it down for you. Be it the protest poetry of Faiz, or Sameer's 90s nostalgia, we have it all. If you like Urdu and poetry, this podcast is for you!2024 The Quint Art
Episodes
  • Bisaat: Knowing Your Place in the Game | Urdunama

    Bisaat: Knowing Your Place in the Game | Urdunama
    Oct 17 2026
    From the chessboard of life to the conversation between a mountain and a squirrel, we explore bisaat, a word that speaks to capacity, capability, and our place in the world. But how do we measure our own abilities, and how often do we judge ourselves or others by the same standards? As part of our ongoing exploration of khudi, or our sense of self, this episode looks at what bisaat reveals about our strengths, our limitations, and the space we occupy in relation to others. Through the poetry of Jaun Elia and Allama Iqbal, we unpack the many meanings of bisaat and ask whether we always recognise what we, and those around us, are truly capable of. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins
  • What Is Mizaaj? Exploring Temperament, Personality and Khudi

    What Is Mizaaj? Exploring Temperament, Personality and Khudi
    Oct 10 2026
    What does mizaaj tell us about who we are? In this episode of Urdunama, we explore the Urdu word for temperament and disposition, and its connection to khudi, which is the idea of the idea of selfhood popularised by Allama Iqbal. Through the poetry of Jaun Elia, Habib Jalib and Daagh Dehlvi, we reflect on how our natural tendencies shape us, how life experiences can change the way we express ourselves, and whether we can learn to respond to hardship with greater resilience. Because understanding who we are begins with understanding our own mizaaj. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
  • Wujood: What Does It Mean to Be? | Urdunama

    Wujood: What Does It Mean to Be? | Urdunama
    Oct 3 2026
    What does it mean to exist? Is wujood simply about being or does it also include the presence, influence and meaning that come with being?In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed explores wujood (وجود) through poetry, unpacking the many ways poets have thought about existence. Sometines as presence, as rootedness, as freedom, and as the forces that shape the way we inhabit the world.From Iqbal’s striking conversation between a tree and a desert bird to his idea of rising beyond the jazb-e-khaak, or the pull of the wordly desires, the episode looks at what it means to be here and what makes that presence matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins
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All stars
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Easy listening, flowed well between hindustani, urdu and hindi. always keeps the audience engaged.

Interesting definitely

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Beautiful rendition of this beautiful language.
Fabiya nicely explains difficult words with modern context. The background music gels with the poetry. The selection of poetry is also very interesting.

Beautifully presented

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it's sweet and beautiful. Also a place to learn a few popular Urdu words. I have been listening to it since episode 1.

Love the content, and the delivery.

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