Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 10th Heavenly Art Festival, held at the Imam Kazem (peace be upon him) Seminary Conference Hall, Ayatollah Arafi emphasized the fundamental role of art in human transcendence and the formation of Islamic civilization. The event was organized by the Seminary Deputy for Propaganda and Cultural Affairs.
Addressing scholars, artists, professors, and seminary students from Iran and other countries, he described the festival as “a manifestation of the deep connection between art and religious thought,” praising the quality and diversity of works presented by seminary-affiliated artists.
Ayatollah Arafi said transcendent art—emerging from prayer, the Holy Quran, and the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)—has the capacity to guide humanity beyond vulgarity and materialism toward elevated spiritual and divine horizons. He stressed that such art requires intellectual deepening, structured school-building, and elite leadership within seminaries and universities.
Referring to the coincidence of the ceremony with the holy month of Rajab, Ayatollah Arafi described the month as a period of spiritual return and closeness to God, noting that its prayers and supplications represent some of the highest artistic and spiritual expressions in Islamic tradition.
He added that prayers, invocations, pilgrimage texts, and Quranic teachings offer the clearest path for preserving art from deviation and materialism, presenting profound monotheistic, epistemological, and human concepts in refined and deeply aesthetic forms. According to him, religious and seminary art must draw from these authentic sources to effectively convey divine messages, human dignity, and the lofty ideals of Islam to society and the wider world.
Ayatollah Arafi also highlighted the artistic richness of supplications, saying they express the deepest theological truths with beauty, tenderness, and meaning, portraying God as both exalted and intimately close to His servants.
Pointing to the role of language—particularly Arabic—in expressing divine meanings, he said the Holy Quran and the supplications of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) represent the peak of sacred artistic and literary expression in Islamic civilization.
The director of the seminaries stressed that committed and transcendent art elevates humanity and opens new horizons of meaning, while art that confines people to instinct or vulgarity cannot be considered constructive or civilizational.
Describing heavenly art as a cornerstone of human transcendence and the revival of a new Islamic civilization, Ayatollah Arafi said art governs hearts and hope, adding that no school of thought or civilization can endure without employing art in service of its ideals.
He also referred to artistic developments inspired by the Islamic Revolution and the culture of martyrdom, noting that they have opened new paths in cinema, visual arts, and other creative fields. According to him, the divine, revolutionary, and transcendent spirit has increasingly flowed into contemporary Iranian art.
Calling on seminaries to play a more active role in guiding and deepening this sacred artistic movement, Ayatollah Arafi concluded that art remains a decisive force in shaping thought, culture, and civilization, warning that neglecting it leads to the weakening of ideas and ideals.
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