The Ruling on Studying the Subject of Theater, Acting, and Singing for a Female Student

Question: The second question: From the sister (A. A.) in Sudan, she says: I am a student at a teacher training institute, and in the institute, the subject of theater is studied, which is a compulsory subject among the academic subjects taught in the institute. We act on the stage, and we present anthems and singing accompanied by a musical band, and we also present folk heritage and dances. The institute’s family and the public attend the event, and this is considered a student activity for which she receives grades, and it enhances the value of the graduation certificate. What is the student’s position regarding all of this, given that the student is forced to do it without her will?

Answer:
What appears from this is that it is not permissible for the student to do this subject or to agree to it, because of the obscene songs in it, and because of the display of adornment. If men are present, the matter is more severe. If men are among the public attending, the matter is more severe. This is absolutely not permissible. Rather, it is obligatory for the person in charge of the institute to fear Allah, and to leave this thing, and for women to have a special status in education, in which there is no display of their adornment or beauty before men. Rather, their lessons should be exclusively for them, without anything that tempts men or calls for the display of women’s adornment. This is the duty of the person in charge of the institute.
As for the student herself, she must seek out what Allah has made permissible for her, and leave what Allah has forbidden for her. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So the thing that contains disobedience; such as displaying her adornment before men, and learning instruments of amusement; such as music, the oud, the violin, and the like, all these are reprehensible things in which the created being is not to be obeyed. Obedience is only in what is right.
As for the thing in which there is no harm, there is no problem. If there are athletic activities in which there is no harm, there is no problem. But as for learning seductive dances before men, or learning music and instruments of amusement, or obscene songs, no, this thing is not permissible.
As for dances among women, when they are among women, the ordinary dances that are done at weddings, or the songs that are done at weddings, in which there is no praise of intoxicants or unlawful sexual intercourse or the like, but rather special folk songs in which there is nothing of what Allah has forbidden, used for marriage and the wedding feast, this is permissible. Yes.