Contemporary Jurisprudence

Hassan Ejraei in a Commentary:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/17

The historical approach of jurists toward art is by no means a matter of consensus among art scholars. Some, citing strict fatwas regarding music and sculpture, view the jurists’ stance as one of opposition and skepticism toward art. Conversely, others, pointing to evidence of many jurists’ engagement in poetry and calligraphy, argue that art, in principle, is not only accepted but even encouraged by them. Amid this debate, Hassan Ejraei, a graduate of the Qom Seminary, does not seek to affirm either side of this dichotomy. Instead, he aims to explore whether jurists have approached art as individual components or as a unified whole. The full text of this insightful commentary by the researcher at the Research Institute for Contemporary Fiqh Studies is presented below:

Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslemin Hassan Moallemi in an Exclusive Interview with the Research Institute for Contemporary Fiqh Studies:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/16

Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslemin Hassan Moallemi, though better known for his expertise in philosophy and mysticism, has studied and taught jurisprudence and legal theory for many years. Born in 1959 in Isfahan, he has never distanced himself from jurisprudence and legal theory. We spoke with him about “lahw” (frivolity), its nature, and its jurisprudential ruling. He believes that no jurist has issued a blanket ruling declaring lahw absolutely forbidden; thus, even if various arts are always associated with lahw, a general ruling of prohibition cannot be applied to them. In this interview, he articulated existing views on lahw with greater clarity and elucidated its instances. The full text of the exclusive interview by Contemporary Fiqh with this faculty member of Baqir al-Ulum University is presented below:

Ayatollah Mohammad Andalib Hamedani

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/15

In 2015, Ayatollah Alidoust was perhaps the first to explicitly claim that the default ruling for artistic activities is permissibility, or even desirability. A member of the Board of Trustees of the Research Institute for Contemporary jurisprudence Studies, he reiterated this statement at the first Conference on the Jurisprudence of Art and has emphasized it multiple times since. However, this assertion by the distinguished professor of advanced jurisprudence and legal theory at the Qom Seminary has met with both supporters and detractors. Ayatollah Mohammad Andalib Hamedani is one of those who oppose this view. The esteemed and virtuous professor of the Qom Seminary, as always with his characteristic courtesy and knowledge, has endeavored to articulate his critiques of this claim clearly and with evidence. The full text of his exclusive oral commentary, as a member of the Research Council of the Research Institute for Contemporary jurisprudence Studies, is as follows:

Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Seifollah Sarami in an Exclusive Interview with the Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies:

Titles of sanctity in the jurisprudence of arts/14

Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Seifollah Sarami has, for several years, focused on the jurisprudence of art and, in addition to writing several articles, has conducted studies on the subject. One of the primary programs of the institute under his management (the Institute of Jurisprudence and Law at the Research Institute of Islamic Sciences and Culture) is “the Jurisprudence of Art.” On this occasion, we sat down with him to discuss the concepts that lead to the prohibition of artistic works. A member of the council of institutes at the Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies, he believes that only four concepts are claimed to render certain artistic instances forbidden, though the prohibition of these concepts themselves is a matter of dispute. The full text of the exclusive interview by the Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies with this professor and researcher of the Qom Seminary is presented below: