Page:A Moslem seeker after God - showing Islam at its best in the life and teaching of al-Ghazali, mystic and theologian of the eleventh century (IA moslemseekeraft00zwem).pdf/231



" Passing over the cases where music and danc ing rouse into a flame evil desires already dormant in the heart, we come to those cases where they are quite lawful. Such are those of the pilgrims who celebrate the glories of the House of God at Mecca in song, and thus incite others to go on pilgrimage, and of minstrels whose music and songs stir up martial ardour in the breasts of their auditors and incite them to fight against the infidels. Similarly, mournful music which excites sorrow for sin and failure in the religious life is lawful; of this nature was the music of David. But dirges which in crease sorrow for the dead are not lawful, for it is written in the Koran, Despair not over what you have lost/ On the other hand, joyful music at weddings and feasts and on such occasions as a circumcision or the return from a journey is law ful. . ..

" The states of ecstasy into which the Sufis fall vary according to the emotions which predominate in them love, fear, desire, repentance, etc. These states, as we have mentioned above, are often the result not only of hearing verses of the Koran, but erotic poetry. Some have objected to the reciting of poetry, as well as of the Koran, on these occa sions; but it should be remembered that all the verses of the Koran are not adapted to stir the emotions such, for instance, as that which com mands that a man should leave his mother the sixth part of his property and his sister the h