Sculpture

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In addition to discussing the fundamental ruling on sculpture, jurists have also addressed related topics such as the “keeping, buying and selling of sculptures” and “destroying sculptures.”

=== Keeping, Buying, and Selling Sculptures: ===

Most jurists have considered buying, selling, and keeping sculptures, even those depicting living beings, as permissible<ref>Tabrizi, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 358.</ref>. According to Khoei, the available evidence only indicates the prohibition of sculpture making, and there is no evidence prohibiting its keeping, buying, and selling<ref>51. For example, see Khoei, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 356; Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 382; Sistani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 423; Khomeini, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 275; Vahid Khorasani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 582; Fazel Lankarani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 395; Shobeiri Zanjani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 80.</ref>. Among contemporary jurists, figures like Lutfollah Safi Golpayegani and Naser Makarem Shirazi have deemed buying, selling, and owning sculptures of living beings, earning a living out of it and earning wages by making sculptures as prohibited<ref> Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 240.</ref>. Sheikh Ansari considers keeping, buying, and selling sculptures of living beings as ~~reprehensible~~<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 197.</ref>.

Most jurists have considered buying, selling, and keeping sculptures, even those depicting living beings, as permissible<ref>Tabrizi, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 358.</ref>. According to Khoei, the available evidence only indicates the prohibition of sculpture making, and there is no evidence prohibiting its keeping, buying, and selling<ref>51. For example, see Khoei, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 356; Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 382; Sistani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 423; Khomeini, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 275; Vahid Khorasani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 582; Fazel Lankarani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 395; Shobeiri Zanjani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 80.</ref>. Among contemporary jurists, figures like Lutfollah Safi Golpayegani and Naser Makarem Shirazi have deemed buying, selling, and owning sculptures of living beings, earning a living out of it and earning wages by making sculptures as prohibited<ref> Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 240.</ref>. Sheikh Ansari considers keeping, buying, and selling sculptures of living beings as disliked (makruh)<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 197.</ref>.

=== Destroying Sculptures: ===

According to Alireza A’rafi, while explicit statements from early scholars regarding the prohibition to keep sculptures or the obligation to destroy them are not found, some jurists' statements can be interpreted to imply this obligation<ref>Abidinzadeh, Mujassameh wa Naqqashi: Taqrirat-e Dars-e Ayatollah A’arafi, p. 552.</ref>. The evidence that may indicate the obligation to destroy sculptures and the prohibition to keep them include:

• Just as creating a sculpture is considered ~~reprehensible~~ by God, its existence is also ~~reprehensible~~<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 238.</ref>. Therefore, what implies the prohibition of sculpture-making also suggests the obligation to destroy it<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 193.</ref>. However, Sheikh Ansari believes that, based on narrations, only creating a sculpture is prohibited, but its existence is not ~~reprehensible~~ in the view of God to conclude that destroying it is obligatory. Similarly, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani believes that there is no explicit obligation between the prohibition of sculpture and the necessity to destroy it<ref>Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 157-158.</ref>.

• Just as creating a sculpture is considered disliked (makruh) by God, its existence is also disliked (makruh)<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 238.</ref>. Therefore, what implies the prohibition of sculpture-making also suggests the obligation to destroy it<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 193.</ref>. However, Sheikh Ansari believes that, based on narrations, only creating a sculpture is prohibited, but its existence is not disliked (makruh) in the view of God to conclude that destroying it is obligatory. Similarly, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani believes that there is no explicit obligation between the prohibition of sculpture and the necessity to destroy it<ref>Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 157-158.</ref>.

• There are narrations where breaking sculptures is commanded<ref>Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol. 13, p. 233.</ref>. However, scholars like [[Sayyid Mohammad Sadeq Rohani]] and Mohammad Fazel Lankarani argue that these narrations specifically refer to cases where sculptures are used as idols for worship and veneration<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 240; Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 142.</ref>.

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 In addition to discussing the fundamental ruling on sculpture, jurists have also addressed related topics such as the “keeping, buying and selling of sculptures” and “destroying sculptures.”
 === Keeping, Buying, and Selling Sculptures: ===
-Most jurists have considered buying, selling, and keeping sculptures, even those depicting living beings, as permissible<ref>Tabrizi, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 358.</ref>. According to Khoei, the available evidence only indicates the prohibition of sculpture making, and there is no evidence prohibiting its keeping, buying, and selling<ref>51.	For example, see Khoei, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 356; Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 382; Sistani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 423; Khomeini, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 275; Vahid Khorasani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 582; Fazel Lankarani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 395; Shobeiri Zanjani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 80.</ref>. Among contemporary jurists, figures like Lutfollah Safi Golpayegani and Naser Makarem Shirazi have deemed buying, selling, and owning sculptures of living beings, earning a living out of it and earning wages by making sculptures as prohibited<ref>	Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 240.</ref>. Sheikh Ansari considers keeping, buying, and selling sculptures of living beings as reprehensible<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 197.</ref>.
+Most jurists have considered buying, selling, and keeping sculptures, even those depicting living beings, as permissible<ref>Tabrizi, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 358.</ref>. According to Khoei, the available evidence only indicates the prohibition of sculpture making, and there is no evidence prohibiting its keeping, buying, and selling<ref>51.	For example, see Khoei, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 356; Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 382; Sistani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 423; Khomeini, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 275; Vahid Khorasani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 582; Fazel Lankarani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 395; Shobeiri Zanjani, Tawzih al-Masa'il, p. 80.</ref>. Among contemporary jurists, figures like Lutfollah Safi Golpayegani and Naser Makarem Shirazi have deemed buying, selling, and owning sculptures of living beings, earning a living out of it and earning wages by making sculptures as prohibited<ref>	Tohidi Tabrizi, Misbah al-Fuqaheh, Vol. 1, p. 240.</ref>. Sheikh Ansari considers keeping, buying, and selling sculptures of living beings as disliked (makruh)<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 197.</ref>.
 === Destroying Sculptures: ===
 According to Alireza A’rafi, while explicit statements from early scholars regarding the prohibition to keep sculptures or the obligation to destroy them are not found, some jurists' statements can be interpreted to imply this obligation<ref>Abidinzadeh, Mujassameh wa Naqqashi: Taqrirat-e Dars-e Ayatollah A’arafi, p. 552.</ref>. The evidence that may indicate the obligation to destroy sculptures and the prohibition to keep them include:
-•	Just as creating a sculpture is considered reprehensible by God, its existence is also reprehensible<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 238.</ref>. Therefore, what implies the prohibition of sculpture-making also suggests the obligation to destroy it<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 193.</ref>. However, Sheikh Ansari believes that, based on narrations, only creating a sculpture is prohibited, but its existence is not reprehensible in the view of God to conclude that destroying it is obligatory. Similarly, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani believes that there is no explicit obligation between the prohibition of sculpture and the necessity to destroy it<ref>Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 157-158.</ref>.
+•	Just as creating a sculpture is considered disliked (makruh) by God, its existence is also disliked (makruh)<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 238.</ref>. Therefore, what implies the prohibition of sculpture-making also suggests the obligation to destroy it<ref>Sheikh Ansari, Kitab al-Makasib, Vol. 1, p. 193.</ref>. However, Sheikh Ansari believes that, based on narrations, only creating a sculpture is prohibited, but its existence is not disliked (makruh) in the view of God to conclude that destroying it is obligatory. Similarly, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani believes that there is no explicit obligation between the prohibition of sculpture and the necessity to destroy it<ref>Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 157-158.</ref>.
 •	There are narrations where breaking sculptures is commanded<ref>Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol. 13, p. 233.</ref>. However, scholars like [[Sayyid Mohammad Sadeq Rohani]] and Mohammad Fazel Lankarani argue that these narrations specifically refer to cases where sculptures are used as idols for worship and veneration<ref>Rouhani, Fiqh al-Sadiq, Vol. 14, p. 240; Fazel Lankarani, Tafsil al-Shari'ah: Al-Makasib al-Muharramah, p. 142.</ref>.

Sculpture: Difference between revisions