Is it permissible for amatory poetry (ghazal) to be recited if it does not specify a particular woman, and what is the ruling on saying "Su'ad has departed, and my heart today is tormented," when Su'ad has been specified?
Su'ad, as mentioned in poetry, is a fictional woman, and Arabs used to begin their poems with an elegiac prelude (atlāl). It is permissible to mention the description of a generic woman in poetry, not a specific living one. Evidence for this includes Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reciting poetry while in a state of , and Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's saying in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "And what is Su'ad on the morning of separation when they departed..." Good poetry is permissible if it is free from satire, excessive praise, falsehood, and flirtation with someone unlawful. Lawful flirtation is that which is directed at a non-specific woman, or under a fictional name. However, flirting with a specific living foreign woman is forbidden because it incites desire towards her.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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