Dancing in Private For One’s Spouse

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Is it permissible for a wife to dance for her husband’s pleasure in private? Can she play music while dancing?

Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Merciful.

Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.

The husband/wife relationship is important, and it is important that it be lived within the limits of the Qur’an and Sunna.

The guidance of the Qur’an and Sunna only permit certain types of music. Music that is associated with people of corruption and indecency is not permitted by any of the scholars. As such, it would be sinful to dance in any way to “belly dancing music,” because of the negative associations of such music. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us that, “Whoever imitates people becomes like them” [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Tabarani, from Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him); Iraqi said it is rigorously authentic (sahih)].

Thus dancing that is distinguishably of the corrupt and immoral dancing would be impermissible. But innocent dancing that is not like the dancing of the corrupt would be allowed in private, between husband and wife, even if sensual. This is what some leading scholars have explained on this issue.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani