Nazr

{{short description|Urdu word}}

In Islam, the Urdu word nazr ({{Langx|ar|نذر}}) or Arabic word "Hasad" is a vow or commitment to carry out an act. The failure to fulfill the commitment results in the need to take a compensating action, often of a charitable nature, such as feeding the poor.{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1741|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106133814/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1741|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 6, 2018|title=Nazr|quotation=Vow. Considered a serious commitment in Islam. Failure to fulfill a vow is seen as a grievous offense for which expiation must be made, for example, by feeding or clothing the poor or fasting. Most common vows are those that are conditional upon the occurrence of an event, such as 'If God heals my mother, I will prepare a feast for fifty people.'|website=Oxfordislamicstudies.com|accessdate=1 November 2018}} Nazr can also take the form of tribute to a superior or the payment of a fee when taking office.{{cite web|url=https://www.rekhta.org/urdudictionary?keyword=nazr|title=Meaning of nazr|website=Rekhta.org|accessdate=1 November 2018}} The concept is ancient and recurs throughout the history of the Islamic world. For instance in 1632, Mirza Zulqarnain, a Christian official in the Mughul Empire, paid nazr of five elephants to the Mughal Court."Mirza Zulqarnain – An Armenian Noble" {{jstor|44146996}} by Ruquiya K. Husain, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 59 (1998), pp. 260–265. {{registration required}}