Contemporary Religious Attitudes and Music Conditions in Post-Revolutionary Iran

This article has discussed religious attitudes toward music in post-revolutionary Iran. We examined the positions of these attitudes on music using Mohaddesi's classification of attitudes into religious conservatism, religious reformism, and religious reconstructionism. To this end, we employed the documentary method and Max Weber's theoretical framework. Then, we attempted to identify the approaches of these attitudes to music regarding the indicators of singing such as trading, teaching, Sama dance, listening, playing, definition, recognition, and exceptions. The finding demonstrated that the first attitude considers any kind of music taboo except for wartimes. The second attitude with the use of the concept of "al-faragh area" divides music into three different groups: halal, taboo, and dubious. In the third attitude, social conditions, contexts, and the actor are of significance and individuals refuse to consider music taboo. This study also revealed that the dominant religious tendency in Iran plays a relatively passive role in fighting the social pressures of music lovers. The authors believe that although the art institution has not gained its independence from the religion institution in contemporary Iran, the process of change is in favor of the art institution.