Salāma
Definition
Salama — spiritual safety or soundness — is al-Ghazali's primary criterion for deciding between seclusion and engagement. The fundamental question for each person is: which option better protects and develops the soundness of my faith and character? For many people in many circumstances, seclusion is salama — it protects the fragile plant of faith from the storms of social life. For others, engagement is salama — their character is strong enough to withstand the friction of community, and the virtues that engagement demands would wither without exercise. The person who applies this criterion honestly to their own situation will find their answer, and al-Ghazali trusts the reader to make that application.
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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