Hujjat al-Islam Seyed Mehdi Ahmadi-Nik is a long-time graduate of the Mashhad Seminary. In 1999, after receiving his Level 4 degree from this seminary, he pursued his academic studies in Quranic Sciences and Hadith at Razavi University, ultimately earning his Ph.D. in Quranic Sciences and Hadith from this university in 2010. As a faculty member of Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, over the years, in addition to Quranic Sciences and Hadith, he has taught and conducted various research in jurisprudence and legal principles. We spoke with him about the ruling on falsehood in artistic works. Falsehood is widely used in arts such as literature and the scriptwriting of performing arts, where artists create numerous fictional characters and events to enhance the impact of their work, whether in poetry or storytelling. The question is whether these artistic creations fall under the category of falsehood, or whether the very act of creating an artistic work serves as an implicit contextual indication of the “compositional” nature of these cases, thereby negating the notion of falsehood in these arts. According to Ahmadi-Nik, it is highly unlikely that the falsehood prohibited in religious evidence refers to such cases, especially since many of these arts are employed to establish and promote moral and religious values. The full text of the exclusive interview of Contemporary Fiqh with the Head of the Department of Jurisprudence and Legal Foundations at Razavi University of Islamic Sciences is presented below:

What exactly does falsehood mean, and is it applicable to various forms of art?

Ahmadi-Nik: First, I would like to refer to a couple of verses from the Holy Quran on this matter. Regarding falsehood and warning against it, the Quran states: “Indeed, those who do not believe in the verses of Allah are the ones who fabricate falsehood, and they are the liars” (Quran 16:105).

In another verse, the Quran says: “Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is a liar and ungrateful” (Quran 39:3). The meaning of disbelief (kufr) here might refer to disbelief in Allah or ingratitude for divine blessings.

Falsehood refers to an incorrect statement or unjust speech. Falsehood is contrary to truth and reality; or, in other words, falsehood is the expression of something contrary to reality and a statement against the truth, which is considered one of the greatest and certainly one of the worst human traits in religious culture, and people have been warned against it. Falsehood has many harmful effects and there are factors that drive a person to lie.

Is the element of “imagination,” which is a cornerstone of an artistic work, equivalent to falsehood?

Ahmadi-Nik: Essentially, falsehood pertains to giving reality to something that is not real or presenting something contrary to reality as if it were real.

In this regard, it is difficult to claim that if someone engages in imagination and, for example, presents a moral value in the form of a story or an artistic work, they would be considered a liar; especially since the use of imagination—as you have pointed out—is one of the essential components of an artistic work. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the falsehood which is prohibited in Islamic culture and considered a vice would apply to such cases.

Can the “production of an artistic work” be considered a connected implicit contextual indication for adding elements to reality to achieve imagination in an artistic work, and consequently, the lack of serious intent for all the implications of the artistic work?

Ahmadi-Nik: Yes, sometimes the contextual indication is verbal, sometimes situational, and sometimes implicit. Certainly, in the production of an artistic work, the very process of producing art can be considered a connected implicit contextual indication for adding elements to reality, meaning that we can take the artist’s endeavor to produce an artistic work as an indication that some of the terms they use do not carry serious intent; rather, they are used merely to complete the production of the artistic work. Therefore, my answer to this question is affirmative, and the production of an artistic work itself can be considered an implicit contextual indication that signifies the lack of serious intent by the artist regarding all the implications of the artistic work they intend to create.

Does adding details to a story in performing arts to achieve drama, using literary devices such as metaphor and ambiguity in poetry, or altering or adding some elements in painting constitute instances of falsehood?

Ahmadi-Nik: Allow me to make a slight adjustment to your statement. It would not be unreasonable to say that adding any detail to artistic stories is not absolutely an instance of falsehood; meaning that adding details to a story in performing arts, especially if these are in line with conveying a moral value, reinforcing a religious belief, or expressing a reality in the form of art and artistic devices, whether in the form of metaphor and ambiguity in poetry, painting, sculpture, and so forth, is highly unlikely to be an instance of falsehood, especially since such additions are necessary to make the work appealing, particularly if the goal is to promote a moral value or virtue. Such matters are not only not prohibited by the Lawgiver but, in my opinion, may even be recommended.