Khuda Hafiz

Khuda Hafiz (Persian: خدا حافظ, romanized: Xudā Ḥāfiẓ, lit. 'may God be your Guardian'), also known as Khudafiz, is a common parting phrase originating from the Persian language.

It is most commonly used in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and in the Indian subcontinent (mostly by Muslims),[1] where it is also sometimes used by non-Muslims including some Christians and Zoroastrians (including Parsis).[2][3] Additionally it is also used by some Azeris, Kurds, and Jews of Iranian heritage.

Meaning

The meaning is translated as: "may God be your Guardian". Khuda, which is Persian for God, and hafiz which is the Arabic word for "protector" or "guardian".[4] The vernacular translation is, "goodbye". The phrase is used widely in Indo-Iranian and other nearby langauges.[4][5] It also can be defined as: "may God be your protector".

Other transliterations also include Khudā Hāfiz, Khodâ Hâfez, Khudā Hāfez and Khodā Hāfiz. The English term "goodbye" (which is a contraction of God be with ye) has similar meanings.[6]

Variations

A variation of this Khuda Hafiz includes Allah Hafiz which became prevalent in Pakistan after Pakistani Prime Minister Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization[1] and in Bangladesh; in a way to counter Persianate influence and focus more on Arabic-oriented Islamic influence.

In Pakistan, this variation was used as a counter to the original Khuda Hafiz. Despite the word Allah being Arabic, it is not used as a parting phrase in the Arab world, where Ma'a Salamah (مع ٱسلامة) is said.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ali, Syed Hamad (17 April 2012). "In Pakistan, saying goodbye can be a religious statement". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Allah Hafiz instead of Khuda Hafiz, that's the worrying new mantra". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 March 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
  3. ↑ Shamim, Almas Kiran (7 June 2011). "Allah Hafiz vs. Khuda Hafiz". Two Circles. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Khuda". Digital Dictionaries of South Asia: A dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English. Retrieved 8 March 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Hai Khuda Hafiz". Hindi Lyrix. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
  6. ↑ "good-bye. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary". dictionary.com. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
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