Dance is an innovation invented by ignorant, senseless, and irreligious Sufis, which has been declared forbidden by the consensus of scholars. None of the pious predecessors or imams of the religion supported or practiced this act; rather, they condemned and prohibited it.
Statement of Allama Ayni Hanafi Rahimahullah (d. 855 AH)
Allama Ayni Hanafi Rahimahullah, criticizing the innovations of the Sufis, said:
“ولا اعتبار لما أبدعتہ الجھلۃ من الصّوفیۃ فی ذلک (أی الغناء وغیرہ ) ، فإنّک إذا تحقّقت أقوالھم فی ذلک ورأیت أفعالھم وقفت علی آثار الزنادقۃ منھم ۔”
Meaning, “The ignorant Sufis have introduced innovations under the name of singing and the like, which hold no credibility. When you investigate their statements and observe their actions, you will find signs of irreligious and heretical people among them.”
The Shariah Ruling on Dance
Dance is an un-Islamic practice that has been propagated in the name of religion; therefore, it cannot be a means of nearness to Allah Almighty.
Statement of Allama Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him (died 597 AH)
Allama Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“وقد انعقد اجتماع العلماء أنّ من ادّعی الرّقص قربہ إلی اللّٰہ تعالیٰ فقد کفر ۔”
Meaning, “There is consensus among the scholars that whoever considers dancing as a means of nearness to Allah is a disbeliever.”
Statement of Allama Ahmad Tahtawi Hanafi (died 1233 AH)
Allama Tahtawi Hanafi writes:
“وأمّا الرّقص والتّصفیق والصّریخ وضرب الأوتار والضّجّ والبوق الّذی یفعلہ بعض من یدّعی التّصوّف ، فإنّہ حرام بالإجماع ، لأنّھا زیّ الکفّار ۔”
Meaning, “Dancing, clapping, making noise, playing the harmonium, shouting, and blowing the trumpet, which is the usual practice of some claimants of Sufism, is unanimously forbidden because it resembles the disbelievers.”
Statement of Haskafi Hanafi
Haskafi Hanafi writes:
“من یستحلّ الرّقص قالوا بکفرہ ، ولا سیّما بالدّفّ یلھو ویزمر ۔”
Meaning, “Whoever considers dancing permissible, according to the scholars, is a disbeliever, especially when it is accompanied by amusement and playing musical instruments.”
Explanation by Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi (1198-1252 AH)
Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi, in explaining this statement, writes:
“والمراد بہ التّمایل والخفض والرّفع بحرکات موزونۃ کما یفعلہ بعض من ینتسب إلی التّصوّف ، وقد نقل فی البزازیۃ من القرطبیّ إجماع الأئمّۃ علی حرمۃ الغناء وضرب القضیب والرّقص ۔”
That is, “This dance means swaying and moving up and down with rhythmic movements, as some claim in Sufism. In Bazaziya, Allama Qurtubi has narrated the consensus of the Imams on the prohibition of singing, drumming, and dancing.”
Opinion of Allama Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (600-671 AH)
The famous exegete Allama Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“استدلّ العلماء بھذہ الآیۃ علی ذمّ الرّقص وتعاطیہ ، قال الإمام أبو الوفاء ابن عقیل : قد نصّ القرآن علی النّھی عن الرّقص ، فقال : ( وَلَا تَمْشِ فِیْ الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ) وذمّ المختال والرّقص أشدّ المرح والبطر ۔”
That is, “From this noble verse, the scholars have deduced the condemnation of dancing and engaging in it. Imam Abu al-Wafa Ibn Aqil said that the Holy Quran has explicitly prohibited dancing: ( وَلَا تَمْشِ فِیْ الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ) (And do not walk arrogantly on the earth), swaying (dancing) and dancing are even more severe sins than pride and arrogance.”
Reference of the Quranic Verse
Allah Almighty says:
( وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ یَشْتَرِیْ لَھْوَ الْحَدِیْثِ لِیُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰہِ بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ وَّیَتَّخِذَھَا ھُزُوًا أُولٰئِکَ لَھُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّھِیْنٌ ) (لقمان : 31/6)
That is, “And some people purchase idle talk to mislead others from the way of Allah without knowledge and to make a mockery of it. Those will have a painful punishment.”
Dancing is categorized under “idle amusement,” therefore it is forbidden and prohibited.
Efforts of the Misguided Sufis
Nevertheless, some misguided Sufis continue to try to prove this ugly and heinous innovation through Shariah evidence, such as:
Argument No. 1: The Incident of Sayyiduna Ayyub (peace be upon him)
Regarding Sayyiduna Ayyub (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty says:
(أُرْکُضْ بِرِجْلِکَ ھٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَّشَرَابٌ)
“(We commanded Ayyub), ‘Strike with your foot; here is cool water to wash and drink.'”
Allama Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“استدلّ بعض الجہّال المتزھّدۃ وطغام المتصوّفۃ بقولہ تعالیٰ لأیّوب: (أُرْکُضْ بِرِجْلِکَ) علیٰ جواز الرّقص ۔۔۔”
That is, “Some ignorant people who embellish certain asceticism and piety, and those who claim Sufism, have tried to use the command given to Sayyiduna Ayyub (peace be upon him) (أُرْکُضْ بِرِجْلِکَ)
as evidence to justify dancing.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in refutation of the misguided Sufis:
“وھذا الاحتجاج بارد، لأنّہ لو کان أمر بضرب الرّجل فرحا کان لھم فیہ شبھۃ، وإنّما أمر بضرب الرّجل لینبع الماء، قال ابن عقیل: أین الدّلالۃ فی مبتلی أمر عند کشف البلاء بأن یضرب برجلہ الأرض لینبع الماء إعجازا من الرّقص، ولئن جاز أن یکون تحریک رجل قد أنحلھا تحکم الھوام دلالۃ علی جواز الرّقص فی الإسلام جاز أن یجعل قولہ تعالیٰ لموسیٰ: (اِضْرِبْ بِّعَصَاکَ الْحَجَرَ) دلالۃ علی ضرب الجماد بالقضبان، نعوذ باللّٰہ من التّلاعب بالشّرع۔”
That is, “This argument is completely baseless, because if the order to stomp the feet was given out of joy, then there might have been some room for such reasoning. But the command given to Sayyiduna Ayyub (peace be upon him) was so that water would come out of the earth. Ibn Aqil said that how can the command given to a sick man, to stomp the ground as a miracle to bring forth water, be used as evidence for dancing? If moving the weak feet of Ayyub (peace be upon him) can be taken as justification for dancing in Islam, then the command given to Musa (peace be upon him) to strike the stone with his staff could also be taken as justification for striking inanimate objects. We seek refuge in Allah from turning the Shariah into a spectacle!”
Argument Number 2: The Incident of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
“وکان یوم عید یلعب فیہ السُّودان بالدّرق والحراب، فإمّا سألت رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم وإمّا قال: أتشتھین تنظرین؟ قلت: نعم! فأقامنی ورائہ، خدّی علی خدّہ، وھو یقول: دونکم یا بنی أرفدۃ، حتّی إذا مللت، قال: حسبک، قلت: نعم! قال: فاذھبی۔”
That is, “It was the day of Eid, the Abyssinian people were playing war games with shields and spears. Either I asked or the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself said: ‘Do you want to see?’ I said: ‘Yes!’ So the Prophet ﷺ made me stand behind him, my cheek was touching his blessed cheek, and he was saying: ‘Keep playing, O Bani Arfada!’ When I got tired, he said: ‘Enough?’ I replied: ‘Yes!’ He said: ‘Alright, go.'”
There is a further narration in Sahih Muslim:
“جاء حبش یزفنون فی یوم عید فی المسجد۔”
That is, “Once on the day of Eid, the Abyssinian people started military exercises in the mosque.”
Narration of Anas رضي الله عنه
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه:
“کانت الحبشۃ یزفنون بین یدی رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم ویرقصون ویقولون: محمّد عبد صالح، فقال رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم: ما یقولون؟ قالوا: یقولون: محمّد عبد صالح۔”
That is, “The Abyssinian people were performing military drills and dancing in front of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and they were saying: ‘Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is a good man.’ The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم asked: ‘What are they saying?’ The Companions replied that they are saying: ‘Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is a good man.'”
In Sahih Ibn Hibban, these words are:
“ویتکلّمون بکلام لا یفھمہ۔”
“They were saying something which you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم could not understand.”
Another narration from Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها
“وھم یلعبون ویرقصون۔”
“They were playing and dancing.”
Its chain is very weak (“Da’if”) because:
- The authentication of Imam Al-Tabarani’s teacher Hashim bin Mursad is not established.
- Qarza, the narrator, is “Majhool” (unknown) and not well-known. Hafiz Al-Dhahabi رحمه الله
Reference: (Al-Mizan: 3/387)
and Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله
Reference: (At-Taqreeb: 5535)have said he is “La Yu’raf” (unknown), therefore the chain is very weak (“Da’if”).
Explanation by the majority of scholars
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله (773-852 AH) writes:
“واستدلّ قوم من الصّوفیۃ بحدیث الباب علی جواز الرّقص وسماع آلات الملاھی، وطعن فیہ الجمھور باختلاف المقصدین، فإنّ لعب الحبشۃ بحرابھم کان للتّمرین علی الحرب، فلا یحتجّ بہ للرّقص فی اللّھو۔”
A group of Sufis have used this hadith to justify dancing and listening to musical instruments. The majority of scholars have objected to this, stating that the purposes of the two actions are different, because the Abyssinians were playing with spears as a form of military training, so no evidence can be taken from this for dancing as a form of general amusement and entertainment.
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 597 AH), writes:
“زفن الحبشۃ نوع من المشی، یفعل عند اللّقاء للحرب۔”
“The dancing of the Abyssinians refers to a kind of movement that is performed when facing the enemy in battle.”
The same has been stated by Allama Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him.
Explanation by Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him
Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, states in his explanation of Yazfunun:
“معناہ یرقصون، وحملہ العلماء علی التّوثّب بسلاحھم ولعبھم بحرابھم علی قریب من ھیئۃ الرّقص، لأنّ معظم الرّوایات إنّما فیھا لعبھم بحرابھم، فتتأوّل ھذہ اللّفظۃ علی موافقۃ سائر الرّوایات۔”
“It means to dance, but the scholars have interpreted it as jumping and playing with weapons and spears, which is close to the state of dancing. Since most narrations mention playing with spears, the explanation of this word will be according to the remaining narrations.”
Narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:
“بینما الحبشۃ یلعبون عند رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم بحرابھم إذ دخل عمر بن الخطّاب، فأھوٰی إلی الحصباء یحصبھم بھا، فقال لہ رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم: یا عمر! دعھم۔”
“The Abyssinian people were playing war games with their spears in the presence of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم when Sayyiduna Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه reached out towards the pebbles to throw them. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: ‘O Umar! Leave them.'”
This incident shows that the Abyssinian people were engaged in military exercises on the day of Eid as a form of celebration. They were not performing this act out of respect for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is why Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه tried to stop them, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade them from doing it. If this act had been part of honoring the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه (may Allah protect us) would have been disrespectful to the Prophet ﷺ by disliking this act.
Some people, out of ignorance and exaggeration, consider this act as a dance in honor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whereas the great hadith scholars regard it as a military training exercise. Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها states that she saw these exercises until her heart was filled, and she herself left from there.
Explanation of Allama Qurtubi
Hafiz Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Umar ibn Ibrahim al-Qurtubi (578-656 AH) writes:
“وأمّا لعب الحبشۃ فی المسجد، فکان لعبا بالحراب والدّرق تواثبا ورقصا بھما، وھو من باب التّدریب علی الحرب والتّمرین والتّنشیط علیہ، وھو من قبیل المندوب، ولذلک أباحہ النّبیّ صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم فی المسجد۔”
“The Abyssinian people’s playing in the mosque was actually jumping and leaping with spears and shields, which was part of military training, practice, and exercise. It was a recommended act, which is why the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, permitted it in the mosque.”
Evidence Number 3: The Incident of Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him:
“أتینا رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم أنا وجعفر وزید، فقال لزید: أنت أخونا ومولانا، فحجل، وقال لجعفر: أشبھت خَلْقی وخُلُقی، فحجل وراء حجل زید، ثمّ قال لی: أنت منّی وأنا منک، فحجلت وراء حجل جعفر۔”
That is, “I, Ja’far ibn Abi Talib and Zaid ibn Harithah came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Zaid, ‘You are our brother and friend,’ upon which Zaid hopped on one foot (hajl). Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Ja’far, ‘You resemble me in appearance and character,’ upon which Ja’far hopped behind Zaid. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to me, ‘You are from me and I am from you,’ so I hopped behind Ja’far.”
Commentary:
This narration has three chains of transmission, one in Musnad Ahmad and two in al-Bayhaqi, but all of them are “weak.”
- In the chain of Musnad Ahmad, due to the tadlis (concealment) of Abu Ishaq al-Subai’i, this narration is “weak.”
- In the first chain of al-Bayhaqi
Reference: (8/5-6)
, although Abu Ishaq al-Subai’i explicitly stated he heard it directly, there is a narrator named Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Abi Maryam who is severely “weak.”
Weakness of Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Abi Maryam:
Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“عبد اللّٰہ بن محمّد بن سعید بن أبی مریم مصریّ، یحدّث عن الفریابیّ وغیرہ بالبواطیل۔۔۔”
“Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saeed bin Abi Maryam is from Egypt. He narrates false traditions involving deception, etc.”
He further states:
“وعبد اللّٰہ بن محمّد بن سعید بن أبی مریم ھذا إمّا أن یکون مغفّلا لا یدری ما یخرج من رأسہ أو یتعمّد، فإنّی رأیت لہ غیر حدیث ممّا لم أذکرہ أیضا ھاھنا غیر محفوظ۔”
“This narrator Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saeed bin Abi Maryam was either so absent-minded that he did not even know what was coming out of his mouth, or he deliberately lied, because in the hadiths I did not mention here, I have also seen many of his unreliable narrations.”
Allama Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“وھو ضعیف جدّا۔”
“He is a very weak narrator.”
Further Weaknesses in the Chains:
Another defect is that Abu Ishaq al-Subai’i is “mukhtalit” (mixed). Those who narrate from him include Zakariya bin Abi Za’idah, who narrates from him after the mixing.
In the second chain
, Isra’il bin Yunus narrates from Abu Ishaq before the mixing, but here he is narrating “an” (from) Abu Ishaq, and he is also a “mudallis” (one who conceals the source). For this reason, this narration is unacceptable from all chains.
Position of Al-Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him:
Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 458 AH), writes:
“وفی ھذا إن صحّ دلالۃ علی جواز الحجل، وھو أن یرفع رجلا ویقفز علی الأخری من الفرح، فالرّقص الّذی یکون علی مثالہ یکون مثلہ فی الجواز۔”
“If this hadith is proven authentic, then it permits hajjala (hopping on one foot), meaning to lift one leg and dance on the other with joy, so any dance of this kind would also be permissible according to this.”
Since this narration could not be established in terms of its chain of transmission, its implication also becomes null. Another point established is that Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, did not consider this narration authentic; otherwise, he would not have expressed hesitation.
Evidence Number 4: Statement of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn Al-Baqir, may Allah have mercy on him
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn Al-Baqir, may Allah have mercy on him (56-118 AH), says:
“إنّ ابنۃ حمزۃ لتطوف بین الرّجال إذ أخذ علیّ بیدھا، فألقاھا إلی فاطمۃ فی ھودجھا، قال: فاختصم فیھا علیّ وجعفر وزید بن حارثۃ، حتّی ارتفعت أصواتھم، فأیقظوا النّبیّ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم من نومہ، قال: ھلمّوا، أقض بینکم فیھا وفی غیرھا، فقال علیّ: ابنۃ عمّی، وأنا أخرجتھا، وأنا أحقّ بھا، وقال جعفر: ابنۃ عمّی وخالتھا عندی، وقال زید: ابنۃ أخی، فقال فی کلّ واحد قولا رضیہ، فقضی بھا لجعفر وقال: الخالۃ الوالدۃ، فقام جعفر، فحجل حول النّبیّ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم، دار علیہ، فقال النّبیّ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: ما ھذا؟ قال: شیء رأیت الحبشۃ یصنعونہ بملوکھم۔”
That is, “Hamza, may Allah be pleased with him, had a daughter who was wandering among men when Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, took her hand and placed her in Sayyidah Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her,’s cradle. Then Sayyiduna Ali, Ja’far, and Zaid ibn Harithah, may Allah be pleased with them, began to dispute over her, raising their voices until they woke the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, from sleep. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, ‘Come, I will decide between you.’ Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘She is my paternal cousin and I took her with me, so I have more right over her.’ Sayyiduna Ja’far, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘She is my paternal cousin and her maternal aunt is married to me.’ Sayyiduna Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘She is my niece.’ The Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke words that satisfied all of them and ruled in favor of Sayyiduna Ja’far, may Allah be pleased with him, saying, ‘A maternal aunt is like a mother.’ Upon this, Sayyiduna Ja’far, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and began to perform hajjil (hopping on one foot) around the Prophet, peace be upon him, out of joy. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, ‘What is this?’ Sayyiduna Ja’far, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, ‘This is an act I saw the Abyssinians do with their kings.'”
Commentary:
The chain of this narration is “weak” because:
- Mursal narration: Muhammad bin Ali Al-Baqir, may Allah have mercy on him, is a Tabi’i and he is narrating directly from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, so this narration is “weak” due to being “mursal.”
- Tadlis of Hafs bin Ghiyath: Hafs bin Ghiyath is a “mudallis,” and a trustworthy mudallis when narrating “an” other than from Bukhari and Muslim, the narration is considered “weak.” In this narration, there is no specification of hearing (sama’).
Evidence Number 5: The Incident of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them
Muhammad bin Umar Al-Waqidi narrates:
“حدّثنی ابن أبی حبیبۃ عن داو،د بن الحصین عن عکرمۃ عن ابن عبّاس، قال: فلمّا قضیٰ بھا لجعفر قام جعفر، فحجل حول رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم، فقال رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم: ما ھذا یا جعفر! قال: یا رسول اللّٰہ! کان النّجاشیّ إذا أرضیٰ أحدًا قام، فحجل حولہ۔”
That is, “Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ruled in favor of Sayyiduna Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the daughter of Sayyiduna Hamzah, he stood up and began dancing around the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) out of happiness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ‘O Ja’far! What is this?’ Sayyiduna Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah! When the Najashi pleased someone, that person would stand and dance around the Najashi, so I did the same.'”
Commentary:
This narration is fabricated (made-up), the reasons are as follows:
Weak status of Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi:
- Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi is considered “weak, abandoned, and a liar” by the majority of hadith scholars.
- Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “وقد ضعّفہ الجمہور۔” “The majority of hadith scholars have declared him weak.”
Reference: (Al-Badr al-Munir by Ibn al-Mulaqqin: 5/324)
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared him “abandoned.”
Reference: (Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 6175)
- Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “کتب الوقدی کذب۔” “The books of al-Waqidi are full of lies.”
Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 8/21, and its chain is authentic)
- Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “لأنّہ عندی ممن یضع الحدیث۔” “In my view, he is a fabricator of false hadith.”
Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil: 8/21)
- Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him a “liar.”
Reference: (Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi: 6/241, and its chain is good)
- Imam Bukhari, Imam Abu Zur’ah, Imam Nasai, and Imam ‘Aqili called him “abandoned in hadith,” while Imam Yahya bin Ma’in and the majority declared him “weak.”
- Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “یروی أحادیث غیر محفوظۃ والبلاء منہ، ومتون أخبار الواقدیّ غیر محفوظۃ، وھو بیّن الضّعف۔” “He narrates unreliable hadith, and the trouble comes from him. The texts of al-Waqidi’s hadith are unreliable; he is clearly a weak narrator.”
Reference: (Al-Kamil fi Du’afa’ al-Rijal by Ibn Adi: 6/243)
Objection to the narration of Dawud bin al-Husayn:
Imam Ali bin Al-Madini, may Allah have mercy on him, says about the narration of Dawood bin Al-Husain from Ikramah:
“ما روی عن عکرمۃ فمنکر الحدیث۔” “Those who narrate hadiths from this Ikramah are deniers of hadith.”
The stance of Allama Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him:
Allama Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“وأمّا الحجل فھو نوع من المشی یفعل عند الفرح، فأین ھو من الرّقص؟”
“Hajl is a kind of movement done at times of happiness; what relation does it have with dancing?”
Argument number 6: The incident of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both:
“When Sayyiduna Ja’far bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, returned from Abyssinia, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, welcomed him. When Sayyiduna Ja’far, may Allah be pleased with him, saw him, he began to dance, meaning he walked on one leg as a form of respect towards the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, kissed him between his two eyes.”
Comment:
This narration is false and unacceptable, the reasons are as follows:
Imam Bayhaqi’s (may Allah have mercy on him) admission:
After mentioning this narration, Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“فی إسنادہ إلی الثّوریّ من لا یعرف۔”
“There is a narrator in the chain of this hadith who is unknown.”
Imam Sufyan Thawri’s concealment:
Imam Sufyan Thawri is a “mudallis” (one who conceals defects in the chain), and here he has not explicitly stated hearing (sama’), which weakens the chain.
Abu al-Zubair’s concealment:
Abu al-Zubair is also a “mudallis” and here he narrates with “an” (عن), which is not accepted except in Bukhari and Muslim.
Note:
The incident of Bint Hamzah is present in Sahih Bukhari
, but there is no mention of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) dancing. Therefore, the ruling of weakness applied to these narrations pertains only to the context involving “dancing.”
In conclusion:
Dancing is forbidden and haram, and there is no authentic Shariah evidence permitting it.
