Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

The prevailing stance of jurists toward artistic phenomena has been largely characterized by caution and prohibition. This perspective is predominantly purificatory and precautionary, rather than permissive or moderate. The predominance of prohibitive narratives appears to have inclined jurists toward precaution, avoiding ambiguities to prevent transgression. Although some Imami scholars uphold the principle of exoneration and permissibility in cases of ambiguity, countering those who advocate for precaution, the general corpus of fatwas does not present a favorable view of art. The consequences of this approach have included hesitation and a weakening in the advancement of committed art aligned with the Islamic Revolution, which ought to be produced and guided by faithful and revolutionary artists. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical method, enumerates the factors and consequences of the purificatory approach to art. The results identify two categories of causal factors: 1. Disagreements and ambiguities in the technical aspects of ijtihad, and 2. Ambiguities and disagreements concerning the relationship between culture and governance. The consequences of this approach include criticism from detractors, the stifling of high art production, the fostering of public mistrust and suspicion, the potential for social unrest, a drift from legal and shar'i boundaries, the promotion of religious laxity, and a gravitation toward the artistic products of other cultures.