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Understanding The Prophet ﷺ’s View On Enjoying Dance: Historical & Social Points
A’ssalamu alaikum
“My question is: In his book Tanqeedat-e-Fikre Ghamidi, Syed Mazoor ul Hasan Sahab writes that the Prophet ﷺ did not consider it blameworthy for people to enjoy the dancing of men and women (raqs and raqasa). But how is this possible? Is it the same situation where slavery had not yet ended in the world at that time, and that is why?”
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2 Replies
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Understanding The Prophet ﷺ’s View On Enjoying Dance: Historical & Social Points
updated 1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Wa alaikum assalam
The activity itself is not automatically immoral. What matters is how it is performed and what it promotes.
In the incident often referred to, the Prophet ﷺ allowed Abyssinian men to perform a traditional spear dance on Eid, and it was treated as a cultural celebration, not something blameworthy. This shows that rhythmic movement or performance was not considered sinful in itself.
Like music, dance is a form of art. Many traditional dances around the world are expressions of culture, celebration, storytelling, or human creativity. Not every form of dance is vulgar or meant to provoke desire.
So as long as dignity, modesty, and moral boundaries are maintained, such cultural expressions can remain within the space of permissible human art and celebration. The problem only arises when it turns into something sexually provocative or morally degrading, which is what Islam discourages.
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Yes, indeed dance is not inherently forbidden, but it depends on the category—whether it is vulgar or not.Thank you for replying.
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