Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I wanted to ask that is it permissible for a wife to dance for her husband’s pleasure, in the privacy of their own room? If yes, can it be a provocative dance. You might have heard about one of these dances, which includes belly dancing. It is one of the dances that provoke desire and I think it is prohibited in our religion for women to perform it. But what if a woman performs belly dance for her spouse enjoyment, would it be permissible?
There is one other thing I wanted to ask to make it clear for myself. If a wife is allowed to please her husband by dancing, can she do it with music? If yes then what type of music can she use but if the answer is negative, what is the reason behind it?
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–please search SunniPath Answers (http://qa.sunnipath.com) for related answers. The music 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 that of the corrupt and immoral dance 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