Statements by the Imam of Mashhad and the Religious Prohibition of Music in Conversation with Hassan Farishtian

Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Imam of Mashhad, stated on Wednesday in a gathering of university students in Mashhad that he opposes holding concerts across the country because, according to him, "concerts kill art." According to ILNA news agency, the Imam of Mashhad mentioned that, like Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, he does not consider music to be forbidden and listens to some songs. Alamolhoda's opposition to holding concerts has effectively deprived the city of Mashhad of concerts in recent years. This issue has drawn reactions from Hassan Rouhani's government, but ultimately, Ali Jannati, the former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, repeatedly stated that he had succumbed to this demand and that no concerts would be held in Mashhad anymore. In a conversation with Hassan Farishtian, a religious affairs expert in France, I initially asked him how permissible music is in Shia Islam and whether the use of musical instruments and listening to melodies and songs is prohibited. Hassan Farishtian states: "In Islam, we have no definitive evidence for the prohibition of music. Music is not forbidden in Islam, nor in other religions, and even some prophets and divine saints were fond of music. Among the prophets, we had prophets like David who played music." According to Mr. Farishtian, in the past, among jurists and scholars, especially scholars were familiar with musical scales. Even religious singers often try to sing in these scales.