God Is Beautiful and Loves Beauty: Lessons from Footloose (1984 film) on Reclaiming the Divine Gift of Fine Arts

God Is Beautiful and Loves Beauty: Lessons from Footloose (1984 film) on Reclaiming the Divine Gift of Fine Arts

Reading Time: 8-10 minutes

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"God is Beautiful and loves beauty."
— Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Sahih Muslim, Hadith 91a

"Ask them: Who has forbidden you the adornments of the Almighty which He created for His servants? Tell them: They are for the believers also, even in this world... My Lord has only forbidden lewd acts, whether open or hidden... and that you fabricate something about God that you know not."
— Qur'an 7:32-33

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Picture a town where music is banned, where dancing is forbidden, where any form of artistic expression is viewed with suspicion and fear. This isn't a dystopian novel—it's the setting of the 1984 film Footloose, and unfortunately, it mirrors the reality in many religious communities today. But what if this fear of art isn't rooted in divine command, but in human misunderstanding?

In 1984, I watched Footloose for the first time. The story of a small town where religious leaders had banned dancing and music never left me. The film wasn't just entertainment—it was a mirror reflecting a troubling pattern: well-meaning religious authorities imposing restrictions that God never ordained, while the youth, intuitive and honest, pushed back against these man-made barriers to beauty and expression.

This tension between faith and art isn't new, nor is it unique to any one tradition. Across religions and throughout history, we see the same struggle: Does God love beauty, or fear it? The answer, found in the very scriptures these restrictions claim to defend, is clear and liberating.

The Divine Love of Beauty

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) declared a truth that should transform how we view artistic expression: "God is Beautiful and loves beauty" (Allah jameel yuhibb al-jamal) - Sahih Muslim, Hadith 91a. This isn't merely a poetic statement—it's a fundamental principle that should guide our understanding of divine aesthetics. The Qur'an reinforces this beautifully in Surah Al-A'raf:

"Ask them [O God's Messenger]: Who has forbidden you the adornments of the Almighty which He created for His servants, and who has forbidden the wholesome among the edibles? Tell them: They are for the believers also, even in this world... Thus do We explain Our revelations for those who want to know." Qur’an (7:32)

"Say: My Lord has only forbidden lewd acts, whether open or hidden, and usurping rights and wrongful oppression, and that you associate with God that for which He sent down no sanction, and that you fabricate something about God that you know not." Qur’an (7:33)

 

These verses present a revolutionary theological principle: what is forbidden is explicitly forbidden, and what is not remains within the bounds of lawful use. Beauty, adornment, art, and aesthetic expression are not among the prohibited—they are divine gifts meant to be enjoyed within proper boundaries.

The Consistency of Divine Moral Law

There's a crucial distinction we must understand: the medium is not sinful; the message determines its validity. If fine arts were morally prohibited by their very nature, they would have been explicitly outlawed alongside clearly forbidden acts like adultery, usury, or idolatry. Yet no such universal prohibition exists in divine scripture.

This consistency runs through all divine revelations. While legal structures evolved across different prophetic messages, the core morality—truth, purity, justice, and yes, beauty—remains eternally consistent. The Qur'an doesn't prohibit art; it prohibits the corruption of art through indecent or exploitative content.

Consider the fundamental question these verses pose: Who has the authority to forbid what God has not forbidden? When religious authorities ban artistic expression wholesale, they risk falling into the very trap the Qur'an warns against—fabricating prohibitions about God that they do not truly know.

Scripture Celebrates Sacred Art and Music

Far from condemning artistic expression, both the Bible and Qur'an actively celebrate it. The biblical tradition is rich with artistic endorsement:

"And he made two cherubim of olive wood... and put them in the inner sanctuary." (1 Kings 6:23-27)

"Praise him with trumpet sound, lute, harp, tambourine, strings, and pipe. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!" (Psalm 150:3-6)

The Qur'an goes even further, presenting some of the most beautiful passages about divine harmony through the story of Prophet David:

"We had subdued the mountains with him so that they glorified God day and night, and birds too, flock after flock—all were those who turned to God." Qur’an (38:18-19)

"And We made the mountains and the birds sing together with David. They would glorify God [with him] and it is We Who did [this for them]." Qur’an (21:79)

"They would make for him whatever he wanted from among arches, statues, basins as large as watering-troughs, and gigantic cauldrons stationed on hearths—'Continue to be grateful [to your Lord]! Family of David.' In reality, few among My servants are grateful." Qur’an (34:13)

 

The renowned Qur'anic commentator Amin Aḥsan Iṣlahi offers a profound insight into these verses. He explains that David was blessed with such a melodious voice that when he sang divine hymns in the mountain valleys during the early morning hours, the very mountains and birds would join him in song. This wasn't metaphorical—it was a reality born from the divine gift of artistic expression used in worship.

As Iṣlahi notes, "Just as the Almighty had blessed David with the mellow voice to melt mountains and attract birds, He had also blessed him with the earnest ears to understand their glorification of the Almighty." Art, in its highest form, becomes a bridge between the human and divine, a form of dhikr (remembrance) that connects us to the sacred.

Learning from Historical Mistakes

The pattern of religious overreach in restricting art isn't new. During the medieval period, the Christian Church's authoritarian control over artistic expression stifled creativity and spiritual growth. One of the Church's gravest errors was the sale of indulgences—selling God's forgiveness to the wealthy. This corruption of spiritual authority led many to reject not just the institution, but the faith itself.

The Renaissance emerged as a spiritual and artistic rebellion against such control. Great thinkers and artists broke free from clerical restrictions to rediscover the divine through beauty, reason, and creative expression. The lesson is clear: when religious authorities overstep their bounds by forbidding what God has not forbidden, they often push people away from faith rather than toward it.

Today's debates about Islamic art, music, and cinema echo these historical tensions. When religious leaders ban artistic expression without a clear scriptural foundation, they risk repeating the Church's mistakes. As the Qur'an reminds us:

"And We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein." Qur’an (50:16)

 

God's relationship with humanity is direct and intimate. Forgiveness and spiritual growth come through sincere repentance and divine mercy, not through human gatekeepers who restrict access to beauty and creative expression.

The Youth as Teachers of Truth

The philosopher-poet Allama Iqbal captured this dynamic beautifully in his Saqi Nama:

Zamane ke andaaz badle gaye, naya raag hai, saaz badle gaye
Khirad ko ghulami se azaad kar, jawanon ko piron ka ustaad kar

“The styles of the age have changed; new melodies and instruments have arrived.

Free the intellect from its bondage—and make the youth the teachers of the old."

Iqbal's call wasn't against religion—it was against mental enslavement disguised as piety. He understood that youth often possess an intuitive grasp of truth that challenges established but unfounded restrictions. When young people push back against artistic censorship, they're not rebelling against God—they're often sensing a deeper spiritual truth that beauty and creativity are divine gifts meant to be celebrated, not suppressed.

This doesn't mean artistic expression should be without ethical boundaries. Like any human endeavor, art requires wisdom and moral consideration. The key is distinguishing between legitimate ethical concerns about content and blanket prohibitions based on medium alone.

Contemporary Applications

How does this apply to Muslims today navigating questions about film, music, visual arts, and other creative expressions? The principle is clear: evaluate content, not medium. A song that promotes virtue, a film that inspires justice, a painting that evokes divine beauty, these align with Islamic values regardless of their artistic form.

Consider Islamic civilization's golden age, when Muslim scholars, artists, and musicians created works of stunning beauty that reflected their deep faith. From the geometric patterns of Islamic architecture to the melodious recitation of Qur'anic verses, from calligraphy that transforms divine words into visual poetry to the rich tradition of Sufi music, Islam has always embraced beauty as a path to the divine.

The question isn't whether art is permissible, but how we can ensure our artistic expressions serve rather than corrupt our spiritual goals. This requires wisdom, not blanket prohibition.

Worship Through Beauty

Art is not the enemy of faith—it is often faith's most profound expression. From David's psalms to Islamic calligraphy, from sacred architecture to spiritual music, beauty becomes a form of worship, a way of remembering and connecting with the divine.

The hadith "Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty" isn't just a theological statement—it's an invitation. We're called to appreciate, create, and share beauty in ways that honor rather than degrade our spiritual values.

This means supporting artists who create meaningful work, encouraging young people to express their faith through creative mediums, and refusing to let fear masquerade as piety. It means recognizing that when we ban what God has not banned, we risk driving people away from the very faith we claim to protect.

Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach

The path forward requires both courage and wisdom. We must be bold enough to challenge unfounded restrictions while wise enough to maintain ethical standards. This means:

For Religious Leaders: Ground artistic guidance in clear scriptural evidence rather than cultural preferences or unfounded fears. Distinguish between protecting moral values and imposing personal restrictions.

For Communities: Create spaces where artistic expression can flourish within ethical frameworks. Support artists who create meaningful, spiritually enriching work.

For Individuals: Approach art with both openness and discernment. Seek beauty that elevates rather than degrades, that inspires rather than corrupts.

For Youth: Don't let discouragement silence your creative gifts. Channel your artistic abilities toward expressions that honor both your creativity and your faith.

Conclusion: Reclaiming Divine Beauty

The Qur'anic reminder in verses 7:32-33 frees us from false prohibitions and returns us to a faith rooted in clarity, balance, and awe. Fine arts, like any human endeavor, require ethics, not erasure. Let us nurture creativity, not censor it.

When we embrace the divine love of beauty, we open ourselves to experiencing God through the very gifts He has bestowed upon us. We stop confusing obscenity with art, fear with morality. We recognize that the ban on dancing in Footloose wasn't protecting faith—it was impoverishing it.

God is Beautiful and loves beauty. This isn't just a statement about divine nature—it's a call to reflect that beauty in our lives, our communities, and our creative expressions. Let us answer that call with both reverence and joy, creating and appreciating beauty as acts of worship, ways of drawing closer to the One who is the source of all that is beautiful and good.

In reclaiming the divine gift of fine arts, we don't just enrich our cultural life—we deepen our spiritual one. For in beauty rightly appreciated and created, we find not an enemy of faith, but one of its most powerful expressions.

 

— Aamir Yazdani