Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Seyyed Mohammad Ali Ayazi, though renowned for his work in Quranic exegesis and sciences, has a longstanding interest in the science of jurisprudence and addressing the emerging challenges facing this field. His numerous articles and books on topics such as the principle of dignity, the jurisprudential ruling on heretical books, mandatory hijab, and others attest to this claim. On the occasion of his article concerning the ruling on preserving and maintaining heretical books, we engaged in a conversation with this professor and researcher of both seminary and university about the concept of “misguidance” (iḍlāl) as one of the factors rendering artistic activities impermissible. The outcome of this conversation is the following oral note, presented for your consideration.

The Nature of Misguidance in the Quran

There is a concept in the Quran that carries an informative aspect. The Holy Quran states: “Yuḍillu an-nās” (it misguides people), meaning something that leads people astray. The issue of misguidance in the works of our jurists, from the past to the present, has not been addressed under a fixed and agreed-upon title. Of course, they have discussed its definition, such as whether it pertains to ḍalāl (going astray) or iḍlāl (causing others to go astray), and they have defined the general concept of misguidance. However, there is no consensus on what constitutes misguidance or what its specific instances are. Moreover, our jurists have primarily discussed heretical books and have not delved into other related concepts. For example, in discussions of music or gambling, they have examined concepts such as corruption (ifsād) that apply to these matters, but they have not conducted a similar analysis for misguidance (ḍalāl or iḍlāl).

Questions Surrounding Misguidance

Another question is whether misguidance is a personal and individual matter or a societal one. The next question is: Who determines the criteria for identifying this misguidance? Is misguidance a customary (ʿurfī) matter or a religious (sharʿī) one? It seems unlikely that any jurist would consider misguidance a religious matter. To clarify: The subjects of rulings are of two types: one is invented subjects, such as ritual ablution (wuḍūʾ); the other is customary subjects that exist within human society and were not created by the Lawgiver, such as sale, lease, or agency. Given that misguidance is a customary matter, its meaning must naturally be understood through reference to custom, specifically the custom of specialists and experts.

Another point is that misguidance, in the sense of leading astray, is, firstly, a gradational matter, meaning it may cause misguidance for some but not for others. Secondly, is this misguidance temporary or persistent? Sometimes, a doubt or question mentioned in our jurisprudential books may create confusion. Can we then say that merely raising this issue causes misguidance? It seems that the intended meaning of iḍlāl is persistent misguidance, meaning a misguidance that does not dissipate, as opposed to one that is initially caused but later resolved. However, regarding persistent misguidance, the question arises: What is the reason for its persistence? Is the issue with the individual who is unable to resolve it, or does it relate to the Lawgiver and God, who has created it as an intractable problem, such as the debates on free will versus predestination or divine decree and fate? Based on these considerations, it appears that before discussing the ruling on misguidance, we must first reach a clear conclusion about its instances, after which it becomes possible to discuss its ruling.

Are All Books Containing Incorrect Content Misguiding?

The rulings applied to heretical matters suggest that misguidance is not a gradational issue. For example, it has been stated that everyone must destroy heretical books. This implies that such books must be misguiding for everyone, meaning they are matters definitively deemed incorrect in the Sharia. Therefore, for instance, if someone claims that mandatory hijab is not required, we cannot label it as heretical because there is no consensus on this matter. However, if someone denies the Imamate of Amir al-Mu’minin, Prophethood, or prayer, it would certainly be considered an instance of a heretical book.

However, this view seems incorrect because, firstly, merely denying a matter does not necessarily cause misguidance. If someone denies the guardianship of Amir al-Mu’minin and provides reasoning for it, the act itself does not inherently cause misguidance. Secondly, given today’s information systems, is it even possible to eliminate heretical content and books? Nowadays, the system and structure of information dissemination have changed, and it is not within our control to prevent the publication of anything. This was also the case in the past. Currently, all books written against the Quran from the second century onward still exist and have not been destroyed. At the very least, the statements of heretics have been recorded in Islamic books and have been discussed and examined.

The Difference Between Misguidance in Books and Misguidance in Art

Beyond all this, the domain of art is fundamentally different from that of books. The seven arts, firstly, do not connect to the intellect and rationality of humans but to their emotions and feelings. In a book, you encounter words and statements that lead to conceptualization and affirmation in your mind. However, art is different. Art connects to your emotions and feelings. For example, in political matters, if someone speaks to defame officials or publishes an image of an official’s misconduct, which is more impactful? Certainly, the latter.

When we discuss misguidance, we are addressing matters of belief, meaning something that creates conviction in the heart. However, in art, such conviction is not created; faith is not established. Yes, through repetition, an inclination toward an issue may turn into a belief, but art, in and of itself, does not primarily create belief. This is especially true for certain artistic domains like satire or novels, which sometimes do not generate any consensus in understanding or interpretation of the subject. For instance, with a film, viewers may have differing opinions—one may consider it good, another bad. Therefore, in my view, we cannot apply the concept of misguidance to art because it is inherently inapplicable. The only exception might be pornography, where there may be consensus on its negative and incorrect nature. Even in the West, there are restrictions on viewing pornography and other matters, such as images or films depicting murder or violence, whether based on age or broadcast timing. Some of these matters may not be forbidden due to misguidance but, for example, due to being offensive or insulting. For instance, if someone creates a statue of one of our figures in a naked state or merely covering private parts, the issue is not misguidance but rather an instance of insult.

The Four Subjects of Misguidance

There are four subjects related to misguidance: 1. The act itself, 2. Preserving it, 3. Buying and selling it, 4. The obligation to destroy it. In the past, when our jurists discussed heretical books or the destruction of instruments of amusement, they treated the issue as a personal matter, not a societal one. They stated that an individual does not have the right to keep such items and must destroy them, but they did not say that the government or society should undertake their destruction.

The Challenge of Music and Singing

Regarding the issue of music and singing (ghināʾ), one of the serious issues is that its dimensions have not yet been clarified. Evidences such as futility (laghw), amusement (lahw), falsehood (bāṭil), or vain discourse (lahw al-ḥadīth) are certainly not absolute but have specific meanings. For example, falsehood does not merely mean a futile act, as many of the things we say are futile, but are they forbidden? Sometimes these statements may be humorous or intended for admonition, like the rhetorical device of exaggeration. Meanwhile, in the fourth century, some scholars stated that music brings tranquility and draws attention to God. Similarly, there are four or five instances where the virtues of music have been discussed, but our jurists have not considered these views at all. Instead, they have solely relied on the evidences and viewed the issue broadly. What is wrong with people receiving a spiritual meaning through music? Why do we not take leisure time seriously?

The Challenge of Women’s Solo Singing

One of the matters of contention is women’s solo singing. However, we truly have no evidence that a woman’s voice is considered private (ʿawrah). Therefore, a woman’s voice is not inherently subject to prohibition. In the Quran, there are three or four verses that speak of women’s speech, from the daughters of Shuʿayb to conversations where a woman spoke with the Prophet or others, and the Quran mentions this speech. Thus, a woman’s voice, in and of itself, poses no issue. If it were forbidden, there would be no distinction between men and women. In the Prophet’s conduct, there were women who sang during wars to encourage the army, or in the Prophet’s era, there were women singers, and the Prophet did not object to them. In my view, our jurists have not had a correct understanding of the concept of singing. In the West, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr has a book in which he categorizes music. He states that even in the West, there is a type of unconventional music, such as jazz with its stimulating and provocative qualities, but other types of music are not like that. In short, we cannot judge all types of music with the same standard.

The Challenge of Prejudgment in Identifying Misguidance

I would like to make two points on this matter: First, determining whether something is misguiding or not is the responsibility of experts. Second, many of the judgments made today regarding this issue are based on preconceived notions. For example, in the past, if a strand of a woman’s hair was visible, it was deemed misguiding, but this is no longer the case. Therefore, in my opinion, identifying these matters should be entrusted to experts based on field research and scholarly work, not based on prejudgments.

The Solution to Disagreements Between Jurists and Artists

One thing that can significantly bridge the gap between jurisprudence and art is logical reasoning. Today, there is a significant divide between the opinions of artists and the objections raised by jurists or their representatives, leading to a lack of mutual understanding. However, if discussions are based on logical reasoning, a common language can be established, which would convince both sides. Naturally, when people see that a work, for example, promotes violence, addiction, vulgarity, idleness, or family disputes, they become convinced of its incorrectness.