Note: Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Dr. Masoud Raei is a full professor at the Islamic Azad University of Najafabad, Isfahan. Having authored several books and over 200 scientific articles, he is recognized as one of Iran’s foremost professors of international law. For some time, he has been working at the University of Religions and Denominations to develop the curriculum for media fiqh as a doctoral program. On this occasion, we spoke with him about the competitive advantages of media fiqh for international presence. He identified three key elements as the competitive advantages of media fiqh. The detailed account of Contemporary Fiqh’s exclusive interview with this professor and researcher from both the seminary and academia is presented below for your review:

Contemporary Fiqh: What competitive advantages does Shiite media fiqh offer, understandable to the contemporary world, for its presence on the international stage?

Raei: Allow me first to provide a brief definition of media fiqh:

The definition we can understand of media fiqh today is that it is, first and foremost, a science derived through deduction from authentic religious sources. Up to this point, we are dealing with a science. When we use the term “science,” we mean precisely what we would equate to knowledge or, with some leniency, science. Of course, by knowledge, I do not mean a mere collection of information, but rather science in the true sense of the term.

This science is derived through deductions from authentic religious sources, with the aim of addressing issues related to media in a practical manner. These responses must, as a rule, be framed within the context of religious values and systems and ultimately pertain to rulings concerning human actions within the media framework.

Therefore, the competitive advantages of media fiqh compared to what exists today in the international system, or as you put it, the contemporary world, are as follows:

First, what we aim to offer in the competitive market is the use of authentic religious sources. The question that arises here is: What advantage does religion offer the world today? At first glance, religious sources might not only lack an advantage but could even be considered a weakness, as these sources were entirely formed in the past. The Holy Quran was revealed 1,400 years ago, and the hadiths are from around the same period, with little temporal distance. Neither the Quran nor the hadiths explicitly mention media fiqh, and the words of jurists rarely address media fiqh or such emerging topics.

So, despite this significant challenge with religious sources, how do we present them as a competitive advantage? This forms the initial challenge of our discussion.

Our preliminary response to this issue is that, although these sources were formed in the past, the source and origin providing these sources are connected to an infallible knowledge—divinely bestowed in the case of the Holy Quran and from the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them) in the case of hadiths. Therefore, we encounter two significant positive competitive aspects in this domain:

1. The deliverer and speaker are infallible.

2. They are not connected to limited knowledge but possess unlimited knowledge.

Of course, this infallibility pertains to the source, not to the texts in our hands. We are not claiming that the book Usul al-Kafi is free of error; rather, we are saying that the narrations attributed to the Imams and the Quran itself were formed without trial and error and are not based on the incomplete and fallible reasoning of humans but rely on the most authentic sources.

The second competitive advantage of Islamic media fiqh is that its discussions are intended to be expressed within the framework of values. To elaborate: In the world, media are typically audience-centric, striving to attract more viewers. Therefore, they produce programs that are, so to speak, audience-pleasing. If a segment of the audience desires programs that cater to their instinctual sexual desires, media naturally do not concern themselves with whether pursuing this direction challenges a value. Instead, they strive to produce programs that respond to this need in the best possible way, even producing films that depict intimate relationships in private settings. The only caution given is that those under 18 should not access such content—a recommendation akin to a yellow or red weather warning; if individuals ignore this warning and engage with the content, it is their responsibility.

However, in media fiqh, the central mission, the unparalleled, fundamental, and inflexible value is balāgh (conveyance). This central mission is derived from the verse: “And the duty of the Messenger is only to convey clearly” (Quran 24:54), which mandates that even the Messenger must operate within the framework of balāgh. In an Islamic media grounded in media fiqh, values must be conveyed, even if the audience desires something else. Such a media does not permit itself to create a platform for sin or to share a film or dialogue that is inconsistent with the teachings of the sacred Sharia.

Contemporary Fiqh: Does this mean that these values also bring about changes in our method of deduction, in the way we use rules and evidence?

Raei: You’ve raised a very insightful point. Media fiqh must undoubtedly reach a point where it designs a model and system for media that, while uplifting, fostering vitality, and inspiring hope in its audience, and while creating an acceptable world for honorable friends, also establishes the foundation for the notion that “this world is the farm of the hereafter” (Al-Dunya Mazra‘at al-Akhira).

This initial statement may indeed be preliminary and requires much more precision, perhaps in an elite context and by leveraging specialized fields, particularly media expertise, to develop styles, models, and systems. However, within the scope of my discussion, adherence to values is one of the competitive advantages of media fiqh on the international stage.

To add a complementary point: In the realm of international media, what is often emphasized is moral virtues; however, the competitive advantage of media fiqh lies in ethical nobility, as the Prophet (PBUH) stated: “I was sent to perfect noble morals.”

The third advantage is the attention to Sharia rulings, as prescribed by the Creator of the universe, in media behavior. In contrast, non-Islamic media do not pay attention to such matters. For example, you turn on a television network and see hosts of different genders with various attires sitting side by side, sometimes even embracing each other to express affection. The question arises: Are the components of such behaviors approved by the Sharia?

Media fiqh states that it is committed to adhering to the propositions of the Sharia because humans are not the owners or possessors of complete authority over their behaviors. They do not have such freedom to engage in any behavior they wish, as they are accountable to God and are His servants. Therefore, the third domain of media fiqh’s advantage is regulating behaviors based on Sharia rulings.

In conclusion, the competitive advantages of media fiqh lie in these three domains: 1. Authentic sources. 2. A value-centered mission of conveyance. 3. Regulation of behaviors based on the Creator’s rulings.

Contemporary Fiqh: Does the current media fiqh have the necessary capacity for an international presence?

Raei: I am currently engaged in an extensive project with our colleagues at the University of Religions and Denominations, which involves “developing the curriculum for a doctoral program in media or media fiqh.” To design the curriculum—since we are creating it for the first time and want it to be value-based—I had to refer to existing media-related sources in the world today, meaning sources written about media. I noticed the vast volume of scientific sources in the English language on media, whereas in Shiite and Islamic fiqh, not much scientific production has occurred. Therefore, we have significant potential for an international presence, but unfortunately, this potential has not yet been properly utilized. I hope, with the help of professors and researchers of media fiqh, this potential will be realized.