Raqs - Dancing

The Hanafi, Maaliki, Hanbali, and Abu Bakr al-Qaffaal from the Shaafi school of thought have said that Raqs [dancing] is makrooh because indulging in it is vileness and foolishness and it belongs to the things which undermine manliness and is from lawh.

Ibn Taymiyyah said indulging in Raqs for purposes of worship or dhikr is an innovation and disobedience. Neither Allaah nor His Messenger ordered it and nor did any of the Imaams or the Salaf.

The Jurists agree that the witness of a person who indulges in Raqs will be rejected because one of the conditions for a valid witness is manliness and indulging in Raqs undermines manliness.

The Shaafi and Hanbali schools have said that the relied upon position is that a person who constantly indulges in Raqs a lot, then it is his witness which will be rejected. The zaahir of the texts of the Hanafi school of thought also supports the view that it is a person's constant indulgence in Raqs which leads to his witness being rejected.

Kawaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh Volume 23 Page(s) 10-11