Contemporary Jurisprudence

The director of the Jurisprudence Department at the Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi stated in an oral note:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/9

Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mahdi Shariati Tabar, a graduate of the Mashhad Seminary and the director of the Jurisprudence Department at the Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, has also served for several years as the head of the foundation, in addition to teaching, researching, and preaching. In this oral note, he addresses how falsehood is perceived in artistic works. This point is significant because the presence of literary devices such as metaphor, simile, figurative expression, and exaggeration has led to the misconception of falsehood in artistic works. Similarly, in screenplays and plays based on real stories, certain elements are often added to the original story to transform it into an artistic work and create what is termed “drama.” The oral note by this professor and researcher of the Mashhad Seminary is as follows:

A distinguished professor of advanced studies at the Esfahan Seminary, in an exclusive interview with the Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/8

Hujjat al-Islam Ali Akbar Safi Esfahani, born in 1343 AH (1964 CE) in Esfahan, hails from the renowned and beloved Safi Esfahani family in this region. For years, in addition to teaching and researching in the fields of jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, and Quranic exegesis, he has undertaken various responsibilities in the seminary, including Deputy of Education at the Esfahan Office of Islamic Propagation, Director of the Allameh Majlesi Specialized Center, and the Lady Amin Mujtahida Advanced School. We sat down with him to discuss the concept of “misguidance” (idlāl) as one of the commonly used titles to establish the prohibition of artistic activities. He believes that the two significant arts present during the time of the Prophet were fundamentally promoted to mislead individuals and distance them from the religion of Islam; thus, the evidence for the prohibition of art must be analyzed in light of this background. The full text of the exclusive interview by Contemporary Jurisprudence with this professor and researcher of the Esfahan Seminary is as follows:

Aminullah Amini reported:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/7

The titles used to establish the prohibition of an artistic activity are sometimes specific, such as ghina (singing) and music, and sometimes general, such as amusement (lahw), play (la‘b), futility (laghv), misguidance (idlāl), and corruption (ifsād). In this article, Aminullah Amini, a doctoral student at Al-Mustafa International University, has endeavored to provide a report on books that have explored these titles from a jurisprudential perspective.

A distinguished professor of advanced studies at the Qom Seminary, in an exclusive interview with the Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/6

One of the jurisprudential titles applicable to artistic matters is the concept of futility (laghv). In jurisprudential texts, some artistic activities, in addition to being considered as amusement and play (lahw wa la‘b), have also been classified as futile. However, there has never been an independent and thorough discussion in jurisprudential texts regarding the legal ruling on futility. We raised this issue with Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Alireza Hosseini, the secretary of the Islamic Jurisprudence and Law Think Tank at the Center for the Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress. He believes there is no evidence in Islamic law for the prohibition of futility. The full text of the exclusive interview by Contemporary Jurisprudence with this Qom Seminary professor is as follows:

The Fifty-Fourth Session of “Methodology Sundays” with the Participation of Seminary and University Scholars

The social role of jurists from the Mongol period to the Safavid era was examined, and scholarly critiques were discussed.

🏷 The fifty-fourth session of the series of academic programs “Methodology Sundays” was held virtually, organized by the Research Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies in collaboration with the Office for the Development of Islamic Sciences of the Islamic Propagation Office.

🔷 The theme of this session was “Historical Analysis of Jurists’ Methods in Transforming Jurisprudential Propositions into Social Norms,” during which distinguished seminary and university scholars analyzed the social role of jurists from the Mongol invasion to the Safavid era.

🔶 In this specialized session, Dr. Mohsen Alviri and Dr. Mahdieh Mahdavi Kani presented their perspectives on the methods of socializing jurisprudential teachings, the significance of jurists’ ethics and asceticism, and the impact of these approaches on the spread of Shi’ism and the formation of the Safavid government.

🔷 Additionally, Hojjatoleslam Dr. Hamed Qara’ati provided scholarly critiques and explored the complex relationship between jurisprudence and society, emphasizing the necessity of considering both the positive and negative aspects of this interaction. This session was part of the Research Institute’s programs aimed at enhancing the scientific and historical understanding of jurists’ roles in society.