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Glossary Entry

Adab al-Samāʿ

Definition

Adab al-sama' is the set of conditions and behaviours that make sama' spiritually beneficial rather than harmful: the gathering should be with people of genuine spiritual orientation, not with those whose hearts are dominated by worldly desire; the poetry or music should speak to the highest human aspirations rather than the lowest; the listener should come with a prepared and purified heart; emotional responses should be genuine rather than performed; and the experience should strengthen rather than replace the foundational practices of prayer, dhikr, and ethical conduct. Without this adab, even the most beautiful sama' is a spiritual indulgence rather than a spiritual tool.

As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.

Appears in

1 book in the library

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