Adab
Definition
Adab, in al-Ghazali's framework, is not merely surface-level politeness but the embodiment of correct consciousness in every action. The adab of eating means approaching the meal with awareness: awareness of Allah as the Provider, awareness of one's own need and dependence, awareness of those who lack what one is about to consume, and awareness of the moderation that the body and the spirit both require. Adab transforms eating from an animal act into an act of worship — the same physical activity, performed with or without adab, produces entirely different effects on the heart.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Adab.
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"This hadith was declared weak by Ibn 'Adi. In Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami's "Adab al-Ṣuḥbah," from the hadith of Ali, "The happiness of a person lies in having righteous brothers. Another hadith likens two brothers meeting to two hands, each washing the other. This is narrated by al-Sulami in "Adab al-Ṣuḥbah" and by Abu Mansur al-Daylami in "Musnad al-Firdaws" from Anas, although it includes a weak chain of transmission."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 15: Friendship and Brotherhood
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"intestines. Similar tales are recounted of Al-Atriris, an emir of al-Malik al-Nasir during his rule on Adab, and of King Khabak, sultan of Turkestan. I then traveled from Tripoli to the Fortress of the Kurds, a small town rich with trees and rivers atop a hill, which includes a lodge known as the Ibrahimi Lodge, attributed to a distinguished emir, where I stayed with the judge whose name escapes me now. From there, I traveled to the city of Homs, a charming city with lush surroundings, verdant trees, bustling rivers, and wide markets. Its mosque is notably beautiful, with water in its center. The people of Homs are Arabs, known for their virtue and generosity."
— Ibn Battuta, Volume One: From Tangier to the Lands of the East
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"blessing of a woman is her minimal dowry with a strong iznad. In a hadith, exchange gifts, you will love each other, extracted by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and Al-Baihaqi from Abu Huraira with a good iznad. The woman should be fertile and affectionate. If she does not have a husband and her condition is unknown, consider her health and youth, as she is usually fertile with these traits. The sixth criterion is that she should be a virgin. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Jabir, who had married a non-virgin, Why not a virgin, so you will play with her and she will play with you? There are three benefits"
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 12: Book of Marriage
Appears in
2 books in the library
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