Aslam

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Chapter IX: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Love for a created thing has got defects. It is a sign of our ignorance. But one who knows Him with real eye of truth knows of no beauty except the Creator of a beauty. He who knows workmanship as the attribute of a workman does not go to any body except to him. Every thing in the world is the workmanship of God and the sign of His creation, so he realises Him though His creations and realises His attributes and His workmanship, just as one realises the qualities of a writer through his written book.
A man of little intellect understands love as physical union or satisfaction of sexual lust.

The Prophet once mentioned of a youngman of Banu Israil.
The young man asked his mother from the top of a hillock: Who has created this sky ? The mother replied : The Almighty God. He again asked : Who has created this earth ? The mother replied.
The Almighty God. In this way he asked about mountains and clouds and the mother replied as before. He said : Such is the glory of God. Saying this he jumped down from the hillock and soon expired. This is nothing but the ecstasy of love for God who is Alimighty and Great.

SAMA IS UNLAWFUL IN FIVE CASES

(1) To hear sama from a woman whose look excites sexual passion . Beardless boys may also be included in this category if sexual passion is aroused at their sight. This illegality is not for songs but for women and beardless boys.

(2) Instruments of songs of drunkards are unlawful as they remind of unlawful thing and incite unlawful action of wine-drinking and intoxicants. These are Majamir, Autar and Kubah but not Daf, flute and other musical instruments.

(3) Obscene talks in sama are unlawful . If there is any obscene talks in poetry, useless talks and accusations against God , His Prophet and companions, they are unlawful. If there are descriptions of a particular woman and not of women in general, and narrations of the beauties of a particular woman before the people, they are unlawful.

(4) If any evil or immoral desire arises in mind or by hearing songs, it will be unlawful.

(5) If habits is formed for hearing sama, it is unlawful. Excess of any thing is bad . If too much food is taken it is bad for health.

170 Love and Brotherhood Vol-II

If too much oil is besmeared on face, it looks ugly. So also if too much sama songs are heard, it forms into a habit which is bad.
After strenuous efforts and hard labour. Sama songs and innocent enjoyments are not bad.

Question: From your arguments, it seems that Sama is lawful in some cases and unlawful in some cases. Then why did you say at the beginning that Sama is lawful ?

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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