Satire and its Islamic Function

To understand satire, one should have a good grasp of its etymology, definition, and function. This research intends to seek the literal meaning of the word and its equivalents, plus the place it holds in arts, and its various existing forms. To do this it is necessary to know about its essence, purpose, function, and content. A social view of the issue proves the necessity of considering its functions, namely critical, entertaining, and suppressive ones as far as the audience is concerned. Another question is the attitude taken by Islam to it, hence the author’s comparative study in Islamic texts on the basis of “recognition of novel issues”. The conclusion is that all the functions can be employed in the direction of religious objectives provided some framework is observed. None is actually contradicting the norms of religious media. In Islamic texts, we can find evidence supporting the three above-mentioned functions and their necessity in an Islamic society.