Q129 :Is dancing permissible. If not, why?
A129 : There is no rigid ruling concerning dancing,
just like many other activities. Decent dancing which does not aim at
arousing unacceptable emotions, and does not make of the women’s body
an object of exciting desires, and does not involve holding or pulling
close to oneself a member of the opposite sex, is permissible. Many
netmunities have folk dancing which is acceptable from the Islamic
point of view. The dancers would be respectably dressed and the dance
may involve elaborate movements, but it remains decent. It involves no
exciting of desire to do anything forbidden. When such dances are
performed by men, or when they are performed by women in presence of
women audience only, these are permissible. When the delegation from
Abyssinia visited the Prophet, they performed some of their folk
dancing in the mosque. The Prophet watched them and he also lowered his
shoulders so that Lady Aisha, his wife, could watch. Had every type of
dancing been forbidden, the Prophet would not have done so. He would
have made the ruling clear to all present.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )