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I am a female software engineer, and I have received an offer to be a partner in a project. I would like to find out the ruling on this project before I accept or reject this offer. The project is a mobile app which will help women to lose weight and achieve an ideal body by teaching them the movements of belly dancing (also known as Eastern dancing). Please note that the teaching videos will show women in tight athletic clothing, like gym clothes, and it will never be a dance outfit. The target group for this app is women, and it will never be advertised to men, as the ads on the Internet will be shown to the target audience. In this case, it will be targeted to women only, and the app will be marketed in foreign countries, such as Europe, America, and other Arab countries. Is this app halaal or haraam? Is it possible for me to participate in this project or not? I do not want to work in any field that is haraam or earn any money that is haraam.
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to make videos of women that include dancing, whether Eastern or Western, even if the aim is to use it to lose weight, because these videos will inevitably fall into the hands of men, either through their womenfolk, such as their wives, daughters and so on, or through them watching the videos themselves. It is undoubtedly haraam for a man to watch this material. In the field of fiqh, attention is paid to consequences, and they do not limit their examination of issues to how things are initially, or accept whatever claims are made. Moreover, the reservations concerning these videos are not limited to the possibility of men watching them. Rather they may be taken as material to teach belly dancing to others, especially to the people of Europe and America.
Ibn Farhoon said in Tabsirat al-Hukkaam (1/148): What is thought most likely to happen may be dealt with as if it is definitely going to happen.”
Al-‘Izz ibn Abd as-Salaam said in Qawaa‘id al-Ahkaam (1/107): Islamic law takes precautions against that which usually happens a great deal, just as it takes precautions against that which definitely happens. End quote.
Ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Muwaafaqaat (5/179): The shar‘i evidence and examination of the religious texts indicate that consequences are taken into consideration when issuing Islamic rulings. End quote.
If these videos also include music, they are more emphatically prohibited, because it is well known that it is forbidden to use and listen to musical instruments. See the answer the question no. 5000 .
Based on that, it is not permissible for you to work in programming this app, let alone being a partner in it, because of what that involves of doing things that are prohibited and helping others to do them. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty} [al-Maa’idah 5:2].
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever calls people to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their rewards in the slightest. And whoever calls people to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their burdens of sin in the slightest.” Narrated by Muslim (4831).
Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than it.
And Allah knows best.