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این یک عنوان است.

This is a caption.
Kian Yahya – Bahad Bordbar

In the short story “The Three Strings” by Jalal Al-Ahmad, we encounter a musician who has bought a three-stringed instrument with a thousand difficulties and is immersed in his own thoughts. A perfume seller in Shah Mosque takes his instrument and breaks it, shouting: “You godless person, aren’t you ashamed before God?! Where is your shame, your modesty…?”

This is a picture of the interaction between religious groups in Iran and music and art during the Pahlavi era. After the revolution, with the rise of Shia clerics, women’s voices, displaying instruments, buying and selling musical instruments, holding concerts, and teaching music were all banned.

A historical look at the position of music in Islam.

From the point where the teachings of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, were more than anything else against the customs and traditions of the polytheists who lived in the era known as the Age of Ignorance, as well as other religions such as Christianity and Judaism on the Arabian Peninsula, and also from the point where music was highly regarded among the idol-worshipping Arabs and other religions, it was necessary to declare all of these customs, including music, as forbidden in order to establish boundaries. Perhaps one of the first examples of this was the choice of the call to prayer (the human voice) instead of the church bell or shofar (the sacred instrument of the Jews) or the percussion instruments and drums of the polytheists.

During the time of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, music was popular in the court. After the expansion of Islam and the conquest of new territories, singers and musicians from the lands of Syria and Persia went to Hijaz. They even appeared in the courts of the caliphs. Yazid and Muawiyah were interested in music. Similarly, Mamun, the Abbasid caliph, was also interested in music and promoted this culture. Mamun was so passionate about music that he would gather the most important musicians in his court and personally seek out their work. He also promoted music education in the House of Wisdom – the first university in the style of modern universities.

Some of the most prominent musicians who were nurtured in the court of the Abbasid caliphs and their names are mentioned as the founders of the authentic music movement in the world, include individuals such as Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Mahan, known as the companion of music, who was a musician in the reign of Harun al-Rashid, or Abu al-Abbas Bakhtiyar, who was the master of Rudaki, the great poet in playing the lute, or Abu Muhammad Ishaq ibn Maimun Musawi, who was one of the greatest musicians in the reign of Mamun and Mutawakkil Abbasid, as well as Zaryab, who is known for introducing the European guitar, among others.

Mohammad Hossein Meshayekh Faridani, in the introduction of the book Alaghni, writes: From the second half of the first century of the Hijri calendar, with the conquest of new lands, the path was opened for music masters to Mecca and Medina. Masters such as Nashit and Ma’bad, Ibn Masja’, Jamila, Ibn Aisha, and Hababa were among them.

However, the Shiites condemned the culture of the Umayyad and Abbasid courts. They considered their actions to be condemnable, ugly, and examples of decadence and sin. In fact, in the Shiite belief, indulging in worldly pleasures – including dancing and singing – prevents a person from engaging in religious acts and remembering God. Therefore, the music that was an integral part of the Umayyad and Abbasid courts was considered nothing but sinful, corrupt, and destructive. Additionally, in the Shiite belief, one of the signs of a true Muslim is being mournful and constantly remembering death. Naturally, the state of mourning, fear, and hope that forms the foundation of a Shiite’s behavior is not compatible with playing instruments, singing, and dancing.

Such narrations have remained from the Imams of Shia: Music shortens life, emasculates men, and corrupts the mind.

But in Iran, the majority of people were Sunni. Poetry, singing, and music also had a place in Iranian culture after Islam.

For example, Hafez has mentioned in his Maghni Nameh:

“The singer sings to the sound of the river – speak and strike the song of the kings”

“Make the great ones happy – remember Parviz and Barbad”

“Bring a singer from behind the curtain – See what he says from within the curtain holder.”

“Sing with such a voice of laughter – that the nymphs will be drawn to dance”

The wandering woman who goes to the state of the Sufi – her connection will be in a state of intoxication.

“Make the daf and chang (types of traditional Iranian musical instruments) sing – give them the joyous ritual of melody.”

When the Safavids come to power, they make great efforts to convert the population of Iran to Shia and fight against the symbols of Sunni culture.

Daniel Brown, in his new book Introduction to Islam, says: Shah Ismail invites all Shiites – especially the scholars known as Shaykh al-Islams who resided in the regions of Jabal Amel and Bahrain – to come to Iran and settle them in cities, and prevents the activities of Sunni mosques. Portuguese ambassador Perez wrote about this, saying that Safavid kings do not prevent the activities of churches, but suppress Sunnis. As a result, the new Shi’a scholars who settle in Iranian cities promote Shi’a culture.

According to Allameh Dehkhoda, the Shia Safavid sheikhs introduced some narrations for the first time, including a narration about a creature called “Ghofandar”. According to Islamic narrations, Ghofandar is a genie that enters through the window while someone is playing a musical instrument and attaches itself to all parts of the musician’s body, causing them to become promiscuous and indifferent towards their own morality.

Imam Sadiq said: If musical instruments are played in a person’s house for forty days and other men enter that house, a devil named Qafandar will sit on the owner’s body in such a way that each part of his body will be in contact with another part. And a breath will be blown on the owner’s body that will strip him of his modesty, to the point that if someone violates his honor, his sense of modesty will not be provoked and he will not care.

“این تصویر یک منظره زیبا از کوهستان است که در آن آسمان آبی و ابرهای سفید به تندی خود را نشان می دهند.”

This image is a beautiful landscape of a mountain where the blue sky and white clouds are showing off their intensity.
The Housam al-Saltaneh Orchestra, Musician of the Constitutional Period.

From the late ninth century to the beginning of the tenth century AD, we are faced with the formation of a new movement within Shiism, which goes against the tradition of the Shi’a Imams. This led to the emergence of ijtihad (independent reasoning). Unlike the Shi’a Imams who had adopted silence, taqiyya (dissimulation), and inaction over the years, Shi’a scholars, such as Sheikh Kulayni, presented the concept of ijtihad in a comprehensive and theoretical manner. The concept of ijtihad was based on a type of local rationalism, according to which issues that could not be resolved based on the book and tradition could be resolved through reason and consensus. It is from this time that we are also faced with the phenomenon of fatwa (religious ruling) and taqlid (religious emulation). Scientific treatises were quickly written and found among different segments of society. Therefore, the sources of Shi’a jurisprudence, including

In all of the above books, there is no absolute ruling on listening to music based on its production and creation. In fact, music is one of the things that, as people say, there is disagreement among scholars. However, according to the narrations of all four books, music that is considered equivalent to singing (meaning a voice that comes out of a person’s throat or a sound that comes out of an instrument and creates a feeling of joy and excitement in the listener), is unanimously considered haram among all jurists. Some scholars even consider simply watching someone play music – without listening to it – as not permissible. Another group of scholars consider learning and practicing music as obligatory to avoid as a precaution. It is interesting to note that in the writings of scholars, there is almost no mention of artistic music with dramatic elements; it is as if, in the eyes of Shia scholars, music is an inseparable part of frivolous gatherings. Some orientalists and musicologists, such as

Among the wise men and musicians of Iran, there is Farabi who, in order to avoid being accused of heresy, performed music in a non-melodic form. This philosopher, in addition to organizing the theory of Iranian music, was the first to declare that music is not a means of excitement and escape from the natural state. However, the influence of religious teachings, along with the strong presence of clergy in society, was so great that music and involvement in music were considered shameful among the general public, and musicians were seen as dancers, jesters, and even prostitutes. Learning, teaching, and practicing instruments and singing were considered unforgivable sins for respectable families. In general, no honorable Muslim would spend their time on music.

In such circumstances, it is natural for this question to arise:

How did Iranian music manage to survive?

In the midst of cultural decline, the music scene in Iran was forced to transfer to groups that were considered by the general public to be the lowest and most insignificant. Religious minorities such as Jews, Armenians, and Baha’is carried this burden. Many melodies and tunes of Iranian music were preserved and passed down by Baha’is and Armenians. The Armenians quickly became the best instrument makers in Iran, with the most famous being Yehya Tar (Hans Abkarian), who is remembered as the best tar player in Iranian music history. Due to the lack of musical notation, Iranian musical instruments were accompanied by poetry and rhythms, which the Armenians wrote in Persian but in Hebrew script. Some of the most important Armenians who played a major role in preserving Iranian music include Mosi Khan Kashi (tar and ney player), Morteza Khan Ney Davood (great composer, creator of the composition “Bird of Dawn”), and Soliman Roohe Afza

Furthermore, due to the explicit emphasis of Bahai leaders on the importance and value of music, music education became of special importance in this religion. Among the greatest Bahai musicians, the Khadem-e-Mithaq family can be mentioned. Ali Mohammad Khadem-e-Mithaq, a Bahai composer, was among the students of the Music Conservatory who graduated with a double bass. His brother, Ataollah Khadem-e-Mithaq, was also a prominent violinist in Iran. His son, Bijan Khadem-e-Mithaq, is one of the best violin soloists who has performed in several concerts with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. His children, Vahid and Marta Khadem-e-Mithaq, who are skilled violinists themselves, continued their studies in Austria and have held concerts and recorded albums with renowned conductors and companies.

The Baha’is of Iran, due to the special importance of learning music, have gifted the best musicians in every genre to Iranian music. Master Rahmatollah Badiee, who was the head of the musicians (concert master) of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra before the revolution, after the revolution, due to his high skill in playing, worked in the Symphony Orchestra of the city of The Hague, Netherlands. Or Master Shojaaedin Lashkargoo, who was the head of the musicians of the National Radio and Television Orchestra of Iran before the revolution. In the santur playing as well, the Baha’is always introduced the best musicians to the music community. Among them, Saeed Sabet and Masoud Meysaghi should be mentioned. Many Baha’i musicians, before the revolution, played in the best existing orchestras, including the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Tehran Opera, and Iranian Radio and Television Orchestra.

“مردم در حالت عادی نیستند”

“People are not in a normal state.”
Varoujan Hakobandian (known as Varoujan), musician, composer, and famous Iranian-Armenian arranger.

Western classical music was carried by the Armenians in Iran, without a doubt. The art of piano playing and classical singing owes its existence to the valuable efforts of Armenian musicians. Rubik Gregorian, Ruben Safarian, Loris Chekanavarian, Varoujan and Ludvig Bazil are among this group.

On the other hand, in the western regions of the country and among the religious minority of Yarsan or Ahl-e Haq, music is an inseparable part of their rituals and chants, and they usually play tambourine and drum during their ceremonies. One of the greatest tambourine players among the Ahl-e Haq was the late Seyyed Khalil Alinjad.

I’m sorry, I cannot translate this text as it was not provided. Please provide the Farsi text for translation. Thank you.

Ayatollah Khomeini and the supporting classes – including the merchants who formed the Revolutionary Council and the surviving members of the Islamic Fedayeen who the current leader of the revolution holds a special respect for – were all part of highly religious groups with no affinity for music. In the early years after the revolution, some even intended to completely ban music from radio and television, although they were not successful. The new Islamic Republic needed some form of music to incite the youth to join the war fronts, so they transformed religious lamentations into epic music. During the time of the Reformist government, Ayatollah Khamenei had said in a meeting with the government officials: “Promoting music should not be encouraged in universities.” What is happening in Mashhad today is not much different from the positions of the leader of the Islamic Republic.