Samāʿ
Definition
Samaʿ is the practice of listening to spiritually oriented poetry, song, or music with the intention of stirring the heart toward Allah, deepening longing for the divine, and producing the inner states that draw the believer closer to genuine spiritual reality. Al-Ghazali's treatment of sama' is one of the most carefully qualified in Islamic scholarly literature: he argues that it is permissible in principle but genuinely dangerous in practice if the conditions — the right heart, the right environment, the right content, and the right intention — are not met. The same physical experience of listening can be an act of worship or an act of corruption depending entirely on what is in the heart of the listener.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Samāʿ.
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"He visited Sama‘an in his monastery and asked, "O Sama‘an, how long have you been here? Sama‘an replied, "Seventy years. Curious, Ibrahim asked about his sustenance. Sama‘an responded, "O Hanifi, why do you ask? Ibrahim insisted, "I wished to know. Sama‘an revealed, "Every night, one chickpea. Intrigued, Ibrahim inquired, "What inspires your heart that a single chickpea suffices you?"
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 28: Condemnation of Status and Showing Off
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"His silence should stem from his knowledge of Allah, not from the reverence people have for him. Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah have mercy on him, shared a profound encounter he had with a monk named Sama‘an. He visited Sama‘an in his monastery and asked, "O Sama‘an, how long have you been here? Sama‘an replied, "Seventy years."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 28: Condemnation of Status and Showing Off
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"Endure, O Hanifi, the toil of an hour for the honor of eternity. This wisdom deeply resonated with Ibrahim. Sama‘an then asked, "Is that enough, or shall I tell you more? Ibrahim encouraged him to continue. Sama‘an instructed him to descend from the monastery, and when Ibrahim did, Sama‘an handed him a flask containing twenty chickpeas, saying, "Enter the monastery; they have seen what I have given you."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 28: Condemnation of Status and Showing Off
Appears in
1 book in the library
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