Ghināʾ
Definition
Ghina — singing and vocal music — is the primary form of artistic expression that al-Ghazali addresses in his discussion of sama'. He distinguishes between the singing that is categorically prohibited (songs about wine, adultery, and explicit sin), the singing that is categorically permitted (the adhan, the Quranic recitation in measured voice, wedding songs within specific conditions), and the large middle category of poetry and song whose permissibility depends on content, context, intent, and the spiritual state of the listener. His analysis of this middle category is the most developed part of the book, navigating the genuine complexity that simple rules cannot capture.
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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