Muslim Brotherhood’s Antagonism to Art (4)

• Brotherhood on Photography

Dr. Abdel Azim Al-Matani responds to him [I quote]:

The rationale behind forbidding photography and sculpture is that a Muslim must shun him/herself away from emulating or creating a likeness of Allah’s living creation the creation of God, especially that the sculpture and the depiction were the exact same techniques used  by polytheists for making idols and statues. The proscription against the creation of images of sentient beings is still in effect.  However, photography was invented long after the Prophet and, therefore, it is not possible that the evidence of proscription refers to photography. Therefore, photographs are permissible to start with, unless they are photographs of someone or something which is forbidden such as pornographic and nude images. [And] according to scholars, photography is permissible only for useful purposes. Suppose a Muslim is a photographer and he uses his talent for earning livelihood- taking only pictures for necessary purposes (photojournalist, a studio photographer who takes pictures of people for identification purpose, let us assume for passports, then there is nothing wrong with it at all.

Similarly, pictures published in newspapers to draw the attention of the reader to a given topic, have the same ruling.  However, photography should be limited to necessities. Da’wah activism (Call for Islam) also utilizes pictures to spread the word about Islam according to the specific need and the specific topic. Publishing the pictures of outstanding students, males or females, in their modest outfits can go a long way to show who the Muslims are; and this would also be a kind of motivation for their fellow students of knowledge to work and study hard. [1]

Critique:

Dr. Al-Matani’s illogicality in responding to this question can cause major discrepancies in everything the Brotherhood stands and calls for. Such illogical reasoning would open the door for unrestrained, undisciplined Ejtihad (i.e. legal analogical reasoning). Nonetheless, Dr. Al-Matani is especially keen to signal out pornography as the exception, that is, the prohibition. He also based his judgment on the mantra of “keeping pace with the requirements of the time,” in the limited context that will not lead to a new understanding, visions or fatwas.

Having said that, I should add that contemporary sculpture is a high level of art that has nothing to do with idolatry or paganism of the pre-Islamic period.  Let us assume—within the Brotherhood’s framework of reasoning—that if contemporary photography never existed in early times, then it will be completely prohibited. This will only mean that other forms of arts developed later will have the same ruling of prohibition without regard to its nature.

By his statement “Photography is allowed for other useful purposes,” Dr. Al-Matani just leaves the door of Ejtihad wide open for immature interpretations and flawed reasoning. He does not define what “useful purposes” would mean so that the notion of prohibition is the basis rule and permissibility is the exception will be invulnerable.

* About Imported Arts! *

Al-Da’wa magazine reaches a peak in expressing the Brotherhood’s position on art. In Issue No. 49, June 1980, the magazine dedicates full two pages headlined “About the Imported Types of Art,” dealing with foreign types of arts, and issues like listening to songs and music, going to cinema, watching movies, plays and documentaries etc…

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Khatib begins his Fatwa by saying: “The Fatwa Section (of the magazine) has been recently swarmed with an avalanche of questions about the rulings on imported types of arts. We say—with the help of God:

• There is a consensus among historians that the indulgence in various forms worldly pleasure has always been one of the most serious reasons that expose nations to destruction and downfall. If we study the history of nations, we will find that any nation that lavishly immersed itself in luxury and worldly joys, had definitely perished.
• Islam did not come to forbid good things, nor inhibit human feelings and desires. God had created man and instilled into him the love of good things. man would be delighted and amused whenever he/she sees a beautiful sight, such as landscapes, gardens, a water outlets gushing forth or sea waves ebbing and flowing. Similarly, it refreshes and energizes man the pleasant scents of roses or fragrant flowers. In the same vein, the Qur’an calls not only for taking adornments and enjoying good things, but also it deplores anyone who would dare to forbid them after God made them lawful. The Qur’an exclaims: “Who forbade God’s finery which He has produced for His servants, and the delights of livelihood?!”
• Since antiquity, man has come to know songs that he would chant while struggling with the toils and vicissitudes of the primitive life. For example, the ancient Arabs would use ‘al-Hida,’ which means that caravan riders would sing for their camels to prompt them to walk and traverse long distances. Early Arab used to find solace, comfort and peace in such songs. It was also reported that early band of Muslims used to chant verses of poetry in song-like manners while digging the trench around Medina.

From time to time, while digging and carrying the soil, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) chanted the following sanza of Abdullah b. Rawaha:

“O God!  If you had not shown us the true path, we would neither give charity nor perform prayers. When the unbelievers that attack us want to cause mischief and disorder, give patience and tranquility to our hearts and strength to our feet when they confront us!”

This increased the efforts of the volunteering Muslims.

Similarly, Tala‘ al-Badru ‘Alaynā which is a traditional Islamic poem and song known as nasheed that the Ansar (helpers) sang for Prophet Muhammad upon his arrival at Medina, to welcome him after completing his historic immigration journey from his hometown of Mecca to Medina. The song is currently over 1450 years old, and one of the oldest in the Islamic culture. Its lyrics go as follows:

O the white moon rose over us

From the valley of Wada’

And we owe it to show gratefulness

Where the call is to Allah

Oh you, who were raised among us

Coming with a word to be obeyed

You have brought to this city nobleness,

Welcome best caller to God’s way

After making the case to his view by dint of selective pieces of history, the Brotherhood remarks: “Such songs are devoid of any sign of immorality, indecency or improper language. It is all about chastity, purity and modesty. The words are good and the meanings are very lofty. The heart beats to hearing them as much as the soul rests.” Al-Khatib continues by saying: “These are the forms of singing recognized by Islam. They can played in good occasions, such as the Feasts, the weddings, the return of the absent (from travel or Hajj or Jihad), during formal and aqeeqah banquets and in birthdays. Scholars of everywhere and when have all agreed on its permissibility.”

Depraved Art

In continuation of the discussion, Sheikh Al-Khatib quotes the words of Brotherhood preacher Saeid Hawi. He says: “Brother Saeid Hawi has identified the salient dangers posed by the so-called “art” as follows:

• Listening to songs and music regularly makes the human mind and body fall in a state of chronic lethargy. Therefore, the propensity for self-indulgence in creature comforts and whims would grow stronger as well as the distaste for bearing responsibility and living in reality would burgeon. This is a serious malady which had it existed and entrenched into a certain nation, it would strip it from all dignity, and weaken people sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice for their homeland. [And] This punishment will be the natural consequence that comes with this deviation.
• Music is the climax of distraction; distraction is the climax of this worldly life. Self-indulgence in music and melodies and the constant demand for it, draw man far from the Hereafter. His feelings are numbed and his overriding concern becomes ‘how to enjoy life to the maximum’.

Hawi seeks to substantiate this by arguing that time is the most precious asset that man has. It is more precious and dearly to be spent in what benefits rather than spending in frivolous activities such as songs and music. Our lifespan is simply a time which we ought to take best advantage of it for everything has a substitute except time.

• In this world, our lifespan is usually divided between working, producing, sleeping, eating food, beside other affairs. What is left of his time (or so called the free or leisure time) should be spent in self-reform and self-discipline by trying to attain sublime human virtues and perfect our attitudes towards fellow human being. A society that spends its free time in such a pursuit is healthy one and prone to progress. However, if our free times are merely spent in having fun and seeking means of entertainment, man’s life would be resemble that of animals in which this hapless creature has no purpose and no concern other than fending for its food, drink and pleasure and looking for what it may lead to all of that.
• Adding music and singing to all of this is tantamount to adding fuel to the flames. Both music and singing stem from man’s corrupt perceptions, immoral feelings, depraved thought, and anomalous sentimentality. All of these contribute to precipitating a nation with low spirits and identity crisis.

After presenting Hawi’s points in support of the Brotherhood’s position on art, Sheikh Al-Khatib concludes with this message to the youth: “We fully concur with what the majority of jurists have agreed upon, that is, art is prone to all evils. It is historically and experimentally determined that art has always been associated with hedonistic attitudes and with alcoholism. This is commonly held as an undisputed fact.

In this age, the influence of the so-called arts on people has been increasing and widespread. Thanks to the availability of televisions in homes, clubs and amusement parks, this influence has grown stronger. At the flick of a switch, man has been able to move from one place to another, to see and hear what he wants from around the world. Nothing is controlled; and nothing is censored. People are easily exposed to sayings and doings that  stand for human perversion, and indicate regression from the sound nature.

Everyone is racing to become the talk of the teenagers, and to make a fortune out of this decadence.

Many of these so-called artists lead lives of dissipation. They are abasing themselves by the vulgarity and worthlessness of what they do. Their production does us harm and no good. For examples, if you analyze the content or lyrics of a particular hit song, I am sure that you will be completely dumbfounded. The content basically plays on people’s basest emotions by using sexual symbols, encouraging violence and arousing the unbridled carnal desires. These things do sell well nowadays under the veneer of art. When it comes to artistic performances, they also revolve around doing sexual obsessions and overtones, puerility and hyperbole just for attraction and high ratings.

Cinema houses are stacked with young and non-young sexes in mixed atmosphere prone to sexual overindulgence.  All this is designed to divert young people from the truth to the falsehood, to accustom them to negligence, disrespect, irresponsibility and insolence. These so-called authors, artists and directors have stooped to such immoral, impure and prurient levels in their productions as if all avenues for meaningful production are blocked and all worth-sharing ideas are over. Indeed, I do not to prove this any further for our plight bears witness to the truth of what we have been saying.

I challenge anyone among them to give me an example of a meaningful artistic work that has been ever free of sex, violence or obscenity; a single artistic work that respects public morals and values our Islamic ethics, creed and tenets. In actuality, this is what they are good at and what they want us to see. In my view,  the art’s great disservice is that it seeks to mutate people into passive followers who consume a lot, desire much and compete tirelessly in this worldly life. Such artistic kitsch contaminates people’s lives, diverts them from fulfilling their life purpose and disfigures the true image of humanity. It engenders cowardice, stupor into people. Those artists can be confused with animals, especially monkeys and pigs, for they are mimickers and overindulgent. Their handiwork is evil and, their thought is corruption and their disobedience to God Almighty is offensive.

In conclusion, Islam’s objection to art and its likes is not only because it was imported from another civilization that is different from its civilization or because art is perceived differently in the Islamic religion. In fact, Islam has a different cultural perspective that is independent and unique, and in disagreement with the western values that have been imposed on the Islamic Ummah as a result of the colonial, cultural invasion. This forced acculturation was the moving spirit behind the ill of blind emulation. The Islam is a faith that recognizes any type of “arts” that is in harmony with Islamic manners, modesty, and morality and that which falls within the scope of Shari’ah (Islamic Law). Islamic-oriented art brings to you a “purposeful” and “meaningful” content in which the single word, the scene, the song, the representation and the attitude would both men and women. It is an ethical art that endear into people the culture of a constant inner self-struggle, Jihad, altruism, sacrifice and loyalty. This is the kind of art we are looking for. Islamic art has nothing to do with cheap titillation, nudity, moral degeneration, decadence‎ and the animalistic openness which are now rampant in every part of the world.”[2]

[1] Issue No. 13 of Al-Da’wa  Magazine, issued in June 1977.

[2] Issue No. 49 of Al-Da’wa magazine, issued in June 1980.