LoveNotes: Part 4

Critique of Scholarly Work

-Ring of the Dove by Ibn Hazm al-Andalusee
-Az-Zuha by Muhammad ibn Dawud
-Encyclopedia of Love by Ibn al Qayyim
-Rawdatul Muhibeen (Garden of the Lovers) by Ibn al Qayyim
-from Ihya Uloom ad-deen from Imam Ghazali “marriage chapter”
-Sa’adatu wa Ishat fis seeratil insania “Happiness…” by Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-‘Amilee
-Al-Musoon “The Protected Gem…”
-special critique of Tawq-ul-Hamamah/The Ring of the Dove

-Sheikh saw the book in University of Madinah; was embarrassed to be seen reading it so he hid it :)
-read it in one night
-mesmerized him when he read it; such classic Arabic; such a classic book (now in English too; it’s online for free)

What is this Book?

-many scholars don’t consider this because they said it was written during a chaotic period
-he didn’t mean it to be a separate book
-he wrote the book in response to a letter from a friend
(Zaad al-Ma’ad by Ibn al Qayyimà 5 volumes written on his way to Hajj ON camel—about the guidance of RasulAllah salAllahu alayhi wassalam—many aspects of RasulAllah (s) )
-there was no doubt it was written by Ibn Hazm

-WHY the title? The Ring of the Dove?

Hamama = dove
-there’s a ring that surrounds the neck of dove (sign of beauty)
-necklace: women wear it to beautify themselves
-Tawq al Hamama: ‘weeping of pidgeons’ --> in Arabic makes meaning and connotations in intimacy and beauty

- this book is to the lovers as the ring of the dove is to the dove
-may symbolize how love will enslave you in your life (sign of slavery for love)
-this book = psychological interpretations for human behavior
-luxury
-Baghdad and Cordoba = signs of luxury in Islamic history

-Al Hajj bin Mansur : built a palace called al-Zahra, walls = marble; roof =silver = beauty

-Muslims invented disco lights! (put bowl of mercury (liquid) in the middle of a palace room, sunlight would hit the mercury that was moving, and the light would reflect on all the walls! Sparkly)

-Ibn Hazm mentions Andalusian women
-rich collection of Ibn Hazm’s poetry
-his poetry = hard to understand
-masterpiece in Arabic literature

-At the end of book, dedicates 4 chapters of the book to giving Islamic rulings on love/promotes chastity
-organization of the book = amazing
-both Ibn Hazm and Ibn Qayyim wrote books on love when they had nothing else to do! Ibn Hazm was in exile and Ibn Qayyim was in prison

-means: focus on your goals and then on love
-“Dhamul Hawa”=Ibn al Jawzi (partly in English)
-lived 200 years before al Jawziyyah
-much poetry starts with love

Mugheeth and Barira (hadith)

-husband and wife married and in slavery
-Aisha bought Barira and then freed her
-married women cannot remain married to slave men and Mugheeth still in slavery
-he wants to stay married to her but she doesn’t to him
-he kept chasing her
-Barira even told Prophet that she didn’t want to
-Mugheeth = sad and crying and told Prophet (s) to ask Barira, but she said no
-Prophet sympathized with the lovers esp. because it was in a lawful way
-‘ulema : Ibn Hazm : Prophet did not just agree in this case, he interceded
-Prophet didn’t forbid Mugheeth from loving her