What is the ruling on dancing in an all-female setting, in general and in detail, whether vulgar or not, and what is the ruling on the 'ardah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. This is a question from some of the sisters asking about the ruling on dancing in general and in detail, specifically regarding dancing in an all-female setting, both the vulgar kind and the non-vulgar kind. And is it befitting for a Muslim woman to do this?
The Shaykh : Dancing is disliked in principle, but if it is in the style of Western dances and imitating disbelieving women, it becomes forbidden, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 4031Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani).
Moreover, it sometimes leads to fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). The dancer might be a graceful, beautiful, young woman who causes fitnah among the women, even if she is among women. Actions may occur from the women that indicate they have been affected by her. And whatever is a cause of fitnah is prohibited. This is the answer regarding the ruling on dancing.
The questioner : And if, Shaykh, it is in the form of the existing 'ardah, or something similar to it, meaning a group of women line up, then they step forward and step back, and sway to the right and to the left?
The Shaykh : No, no. By dancing, we mean dancing that involves complete swaying, until it sometimes reaches close to the ground, then rises, then shakes to the right and left. As for mere slight movement, this is not considered the dancing we are referring to.
May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. This is a question from some of the sisters asking about the ruling on dancing in general and in detail, specifically regarding dancing in an all-female setting, both the vulgar kind and the non-vulgar kind. And is it befitting for a Muslim woman to do this?
The Shaykh : Dancing is disliked in principle, but if it is in the style of Western dances and imitating disbelieving women, it becomes forbidden, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who copies any people is one of them.
مَن تشبه بقوم فهو منهمMoreover, it sometimes leads to fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). The dancer might be a graceful, beautiful, young woman who causes fitnah among the women, even if she is among women. Actions may occur from the women that indicate they have been affected by her. And whatever is a cause of fitnah is prohibited. This is the answer regarding the ruling on dancing.
The questioner : And if, Shaykh, it is in the form of the existing 'ardah, or something similar to it, meaning a group of women line up, then they step forward and step back, and sway to the right and to the left?
The Shaykh : No, no. By dancing, we mean dancing that involves complete swaying, until it sometimes reaches close to the ground, then rises, then shakes to the right and left. As for mere slight movement, this is not considered the dancing we are referring to.