a1.0 The knowledge of good and bad

SUBJECTS THAT ARE NOT SACRED KNOWLEDGE

a7.1 (Nawawi:) Having mentioned the categories of Sacred Knowledge the subjects it excludes are those that are unlawful offensive, or impermissible.

a7.2 Unlawful knowledge includes:

(1) learning sorcery (dis: p3), since according to the most reliable position, it is unlawful, as the vast majority of scholars have decisively stated:

(2) philosophy (dis:w10);

(3) magic (Sha`badha, meaning sleight of hand, etc.);

(4) astrology (dis:p41);

(5) the sciences of the materialists (dis:w11).

(6) and anything that is a means to create doubts (n: in eternal truths), Such things vary in their degree of unlawfulness.

a7.3 Offensive knowledge includes such things as post-classical poetry which contains romance and uselessness.

a7.4 Permissible knowledge includes post-classical poetry which does not contain stupidity or anything that is offensive, incites to evil, hinders from good; not yet that which urges one to do good or helps one to do it (n: as the later would be recommended) (ibid., 1.27).