What makes us who we are? Is it our natural temperament, the experiences that shape us, or the choices we make when life tests us? In Urdu, the word mizaaj offers a way to explore these questions. Meaning temperament, disposition or one’s characteristic way of being, mizaaj speaks to the subtle ways we think, feel and respond to the world around us.
In this week’s episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed delves into the meaning of mizaaj and its relationship with personality, selfhood and resilience. Through the evocative poetry of Jaun Elia, Habib Jalib and Daagh Dehlvi, the episode examines how our inner selves are expressed, challenged and sometimes transformed by the circumstances we encounter.
This exploration also brings us to khudi, the concept of selfhood famously developed in the philosophy of Allama Iqbal. For Iqbal, khudi was not simply an awareness of oneself; it was about cultivating the self, recognising one's potential and developing the strength to shape one's destiny. Viewed alongside mizaaj, this idea invites us to consider whether understanding our natural tendencies can help us become more conscious of our choices.
The poetry of Jaun Elia, with its searching introspection, Habib Jalib, with his spirit of resistance, and Daagh Dehlvi, with his nuanced expressions of love and longing, offers different ways of thinking about the self. Their verses remind us that personality is not merely what we inherit or reveal to others. It is also something we negotiate through emotion, experience and reflection. Perhaps the real question is not whether we can change our mizaaj, but whether we can understand it well enough to respond differently when life becomes difficult. Can self-awareness help us move beyond our instincts? Can we cultivate resilience without losing the essence of who we are?
In exploring mizaaj, Urdunama invites us to look inward and listen more closely to ourselves. Because understanding who we are begins with understanding our own mizaaj.