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Is the traditional New Zealand Haka dance, or any similar tribal dance, permissible in Islam, bearing in mind that it is not considered a form of prayer or worship?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Haka is a traditional Maori war dance, performed collectively with violent movements and shouts. It used to be performed before battles to intimidate opponents, and is also used to welcome guests, celebrate, and mark achievements. It is not permissible for Muslims to participate in it because it resembles the disbelievers in their specific customs, which is forbidden in Islam. It may also have polytheistic associations or involve directing worship to other than Allah.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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