Takhallus

In Persian, Turkic, Hindustani and Punjabi, the word takhallus (from Arabic {{lang|ar|تخلّص}}, {{lit|to get liberated or to become secure}};[http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/history_literature.php A Brief History of Persian Literature], by the Iran Chamber Society.{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=06_06_2016_116_007|title=Pseudonym, or takhallus, in Urdu: some interesting facts|date=6 June 2016 }} {{langx|fa|تخلّص|translit=takhallos}}; {{langx|az|təxəllüs}}; {{langx|uz|taxallus}}; {{langx|ur|تخلّص}}, {{langx|hi|तख़ल्लुस}}) means a pen name.{{cite web |title=तख़ल्लुस |url=https://sufinama.org/urdudictionary/?keyword=%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8&lang=hi |publisher=Sufinama |access-date=26 August 2020 |language=en}} Pen names were widely adopted by Persian, Turkic, Urdu and Punjabi poets.{{cite book |last1=Alī |first1=Saiyada Asad |title=Influence of Islam on Hindi Literature |date=2000 |publisher=Idarah-i-Adabiyat-Delli |page=198 |language=en}}

The takhallus is often included in the maqta', the last couplet (bayt) of a ghazal.{{Cite web|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/164447/history-art-performance-ghazal-hindustani-sangeet/|title=The history, art and performance of ghazal in Hindustani sangeet|date=2017-12-21|website=Daily Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-18}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D-clawwobAwC&dq=Takhallus+ghazal&pg=PA169|title=The Book of Iran: A History of Persian Literature : Schools, Periods, Styles and Literary Genres|last=Tamīmʹdārī|first=Aḥmad|date=2002|publisher=Alhoda UK|isbn=978-964-472-366-7|pages=169|language=en}}