Nowadays, the addressees of Qab-e Shishae are watching Mutkharnameh TV Series on IRIB TV Channel One. While the series has been welcomed by it addressees, the news that the event of Karbala  especially the face of Abulfazl Abbas is supposed to be portrayed and broadcast has prompted some people to ask the religious scholars and grand religious authorities about the legality of such an action. Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani, lecturer in the postgraduate (kharij) level of fiqh in the Islamic Seminary of Qom is of the view that showing the face of Hazrat Abbas on screen is free of any objection except for when it may entails an evil. We have conducted an interview with him in this regard as follows:

Mutkharnameh TV series has been welcomed extensively by TV audience but the news that Hazrat Abulfazl al-Abbas' face  will be shown in the subsequent parts of this dramatic action series has led to different reactions on the part of some renowned jurists which may even cause the producers to cut off the scenes relating to him. What are the religious and jurisprudential motives behind these reactions by the religious scholars?

Some of our scholars have expressed their concern and they are worried lest Hazrat Abulfazl's face be portrayed and depicted in such a way as to be in contrast with his ranks, thus resulting in his degradation. Probably, the reactions arise from their concern lest showing his face should result in an insult to him.  If it is desecrating and degrading in any way, no one entertains any doubt that it is forbidden.  However, the point is that there is no problem in showing his face by itself but if it entails any evil consequences, it will be forbidden. We should see as to what those conditions under which showing Abulfazl's face is forbidden are. In other words, what are the instances of desecration which must be prevented? Apparently, this series is not considered to be a manifestation of insult and desecration. Thus, there is no problem in showing and depicting Abulfazl's face.

What do you think has led to all this sensitivity in our society about showing the face of Hazrat Abulfazl in this TV series causing some scholars to react by giving their remark on this movie?

I think the sensitivity concerning Abulfazl al-Abbas has provoked the feelings because we all know that the people of Iran endear and love him to a great deal; they have strong sentimental and emotional relationship with him. He is loved greatly by the people and they are anxious lest he be portrayed, God forbid, in a degrading and desecrating way. Obviously, the works produced and directed by Dawood Mirbaqeri who is indeed a great director are always great and popular. It is for the same reason that the sensitivities are too much. Some are worried lest such a great work may tarnish people's beliefs and attitudes towards the nobles, otherwise it is crystal clear that showing the face of the 14 infallibles in a reenactment or a drama is allowed and it is permissible by itself except for when, as I said, it is considered disrespectful and when it may smear the image of the Infallible (a.s.).

Isn't the Urf (public view) a way for ascertaining whether showing the face of an infallible lowers his image in public or not? That is because one of the grand jurists has been of the view that since the actor, who plays the role of Abulfazl, may play a negative role in the future, so the two roles being incoherent with each other may result in lowering his ranks.

I said a while ago that it is because of the concern lest it should lower Abulfazl's personality. If it is really ascertained that the roles played in the future by this actor is degrading towards Abulfazl al-Abbas and the people will get a negative impression, showing his face would definitely be a matter of objection. However, it has almost been accepted by the custom that an actor who plays the role of Abbas in a TV series is an actor and he is likely to play other roles as well. In my view, our people's culture is high enough to understand that an actor has played the role of Abbas and that this is a mere show game and it is not real. Therefore, if the actor commits a mistake or plays other roles in the future, it is not dichotomous with the previous roles he may have played. The general culture of our people is capable of differentiating and separating between the two. In the past also, we have seen an actor playing the role of Yusuf and another playing the role of Mary despite the fact that the names of both of them have been mentioned in the Quran and that God, the Almighty, has spoken of them with much reverence. These actors have played other roles, as per the requirement of their jobs and no one objected to them.

Given that the cinema and TV are the modern means of communication which did not exist in the past and that religious scholars have not been faced with such issues in the past, it can be said that this subject is a current and new issue which needs the grand jurists to come to a consensus about it. Do you believe as such?

No, I don't think this is a new issue because the art of reenactment and theatre is one of the traditional and old arts which existed even before the advent of Islam. Although the cinema and TV are the modern means for displaying this art, presentation rites did exist in the past in one way or other.  For instance, Ta'ziyah (reenactment of Karbala events) is one of the presentation methods which existed in the distant past. As a matter of fact, it had been one of the important means for portraying the sad events of Karbala. Those playing the roles of the Imams (a.s.) had not been objected by the grand jurists because every one knew that he was just playing a role. Indeed, this play should not involve denigration for the infallibles nor should it distort their spiritual ranks. As for the consensus of scholars, which you just mentioned, it is not necessary that they reach a consensus about showing the face of the infallibles as it is obviously the case with the art of Ta'ziyah about which the scholars are not unanimous. Some scholars considered showing the face of the imams as permissible others did not consider it as such. Of course, this impermissibility is not intrinsic and that some scholars did not allow showing the face of the imams because they thought that it might result in desecration of the Imams. This difference of opinion does not arise from knowing or not knowing the cinema or TV because knowing or not knowing does not matter. What matters is the understanding of each jurist pertaining to this issue irrespective of whether or not showing an infallible imam's picture is sacrilegious. Thus, every scholar has given his own specific view in this regard.

Considering that the cinema and TV are some of the highly effective tools in the society steering the public opinion and giving various religious awareness to people, don't you think that limiting a director and constraining him not to show the face of the infallibles would deprive us of the opportunity to introduce the infallible Imam (a.s.) to the people through this effective pictorial medium?

I agree with you. As I said, as per the religious and jurisprudential view, there is no problem by itself in showing the face of the infallible except for when it entails a corruption. If showing an imam's face may result in the dissemination of the fundamentals of the religion and in the infallibles getting introduced and their thoughts promulgated, in which case, not only is there not any objection in showing the face of the imam but it would also be desirable and recommended because the artist (actor) propagates the religion through the use of the current media, albeit in its correct way and within the framework of the Islamic Shari'ah. When a director shows a noble person's face, it is because it had been necessary to show it. As it had happened with the story of Prophet Yusuf in which the director had reached the conclusion that Yusuf's face had to be shown since he was the main character of the film and that his life had to be portrayed in various time and situations. So it was necessary for him to show his face because it was aimed at propagating the divine and religious thoughts and leaving a positive effect on the addressee. However, sometimes, there is no need to show the face of the infallible (a.s) as in Wilayat-e Ishq series in which Imam Reza's face was not shown or in Muhammad, the Messenger of God (s), in which the director did not show the Prophet's face. As I said, if there is no need to show the face of the infallible and the director can take measures not to show his face, it is better not to do so but if need be to show his face and it is not against the status of the imams, there would be no problem in it.

What is the viewpoint of Sunni scholars in this regard? Do they have different opinions in this regard as our jurisprudents do?

Exactly, they do. They have difference of opinion as our religious scholars do; some of the Sunni scholars forbid depicting the faces of the infallibles in this way. That is, why they forbade watching Prophet Yusuf TV Series. On the contrary, some others consider it as permissible.

Source: Khorasan Daily dated Wednesday 21 December 2010 Issue No.17728.