the Ruling on Using Schoolgirls in Musical Dancing Shows

A Legal Verdict in the Ruling on Using Schoolgirls in Musical Dancing Shows in What are Known as National Celebrations and the Like, and is it Permissible to Force Them to Take Part in Them?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful From: "Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz,

To: The respected brother, the Editor of Al-Mujtama' Magazine, May the Peace and Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon you; as to what follows:

I have studied the questions submitted by you to me and they have been shown to The Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Religious Verdicts, and they have produced verdict no. 3831 on 12/07/1401 AH, regarding them, which is attached to this letter. May Allah grant us and you success in serving His religion and protecting it, verily He is All-hearing, Responsive. And may the Peace and Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon you.

The General President for the Administration of Scientific Research, Religious Verdicts, Preaching and Guidance

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

All praise and thanks be to Allah and may peace and blessings. be upon His Messenger and upon his family and Companions; as to what follows:

The Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Religious Verdicts has examined the questions submitted by the Kuwaiti magazine, Al-Mujtama', to His Excellency, the Director General, which were referred to them with the no. 812, on 03/05/1401 AH. and they have answered every one of them as follows:

Al-Mujtama' Magazine (issue no. 531).

Question :

Is it permissible to use high-school girls, middle- school girls and primary-school girls in musical dancing shows, wearing tight trousers, which show the limbs of the body and display its charms, and dresses whose length is only two hand spans?

Answer:

That is not permissible, because it involves revealing their 'Awrah and displaying their charms, by wearing short, tight clothing and because it necessitates vain dancing and music. These are both widespread evils which incite lust on the part of those attending the shows, and provoke a desire to commit illegal sexual acts (i.e., adultery and fornication) and acts of depravity, and it destroys their morals.

These shows have unpleasant prior and subsequent activities and they have rehearsals, training the students in dancing and music in these seductive clothes, until they have mastered this loathsome art, in preparation for the shows, and in order to assure success in this sphere of evil to please those who attend.

This has despicable consequences which may end with them - or many of them-taking what they have been trained for as a profession from whose income they earn their living in the world of vain deeds and shamelessness.

Question :

Is the guardian of the student guilty of sin in allowing her to take part?

Answer:

Everyone whom Allah has made a guardian is responsible for those in his care. The guardian of a student, whether her father, or whoever takes his place is responsible for her. If he educates her in an Islamic way, then he has educated her well and protected her from the dangers of evil and corruption, Allah will write for him a recompense and a reward and preserve his standing and protect his honor.

If he does not educate her well, or is careless in it, or is incited towards areas of temptation (Fitnah) and the abysses of vain pursuitshe has committed a sin by offending the person over whom Allah made him guardian. The result for him will be evil and the harvest which he will reap from his bad behavior is failure in the life of this world and punishment in the Hereafter, unless Allah covers him with His Mercy.

Question :

Do government authorities have the right to force the students to do this, by claiming that they are national celebrations?

Answer:

There can be no prosperity for communities and no advancement for them, nor any order in their affairs, nor protection of their existence, except through authorities who guide them and rule them well, according to the way of the Book of Allah, Most High and the guidance of His Messenger, Muhammad. This includes belief, word, deed, and judging between them in their disputes with success granted by Allah, Most Glorified.

There is no support for the rulers or the authorities, nor any respect due to them, nor any esteem, except through peoples. whose affairs they make their concern in all aspects of life-in religious matters, in matters of integrity, knowledge, culture, industry, farming, strength and ability-in all matters by which communities grow and advance by which its foundations are strengthened. In this way they become good examples, to which the eyes of the people of understanding will turn in wonder and those who know its situation will be struck with awe at it.

In accordance with the measure of the efforts expended in goodness and good governance of their peoples, by those in authority over them, and the improvements which they achieve for them, they will reap the fruits of it in strength, might, prestige and increased standing. According to the measure of how much the people respond to the call of the reformers among those placed in authority over them, to do good and their cooperation with them in achieving it, they will find happiness, ease, comfort, repose etc.

So, it is incumbent upon the rulers of the Muslims and those charged with authority over them to govern their peoples in an Islamic manner, taking the Messenger of Allah as their model and being guided by his guidance and following the example of the rightly guided Caliphs, so that they and their peoples may achieve happiness and be thankful for the end result in the life of this world and in the Hereafter, being cautious of acting in contradiction to the Law of Islam and its Straight Path.

By their own hands, they contribute to their destruction, by following their vain desires and imitating the disbelieving nations in methods of governing their peoples, in their customs, in their perverted morals and their culture, by introducing them to vain deeds and shamelessness in the education establishments and the mixing of males and females therein, and other such types of corruption and evil.

This is because if they do these things, their ties of unity will be diminished and their strength will be weakened, and they will care little for Allah, and so Allah will scorn them and the Word of (Allah's) Punishment will be justified against them _and that is the recompense of the corrupters.

Lastly, there is no saying of man more beautiful, nor more complete, nor wiser, nor broader in meaning than the counsel and advice of him who was given the most comprehensive Words (i.e., the Qur'an) - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him when he said:
"Verily, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you will he asked about his charge. So it is the Imam who is a guardian of his congregation and who is responsible for them, and a man is the guardian of his family and he will be asked about his charges, and a woman is the guardian of her husband and his children and she will be asked about them, and a man's slave is a guardian of his master's property and he will be asked about it. Verily, each of you is a guardian and he will be asked about his charge."

He also said:
"Any servant whom Allah has given authority over some people, and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never have even the smell of Paradise."

-and in another version:

"Any guardian who rules his charges among the Muslims and he dies while he is cheating them, Allah will forbid Paradise to him."

So the guardian whom Allah has given custodianship over people should fear Allah, advise them, and judge between them with honesty, because he will be asked about them.

And Allah is the Granter of success. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.