Is what Al-Suyuti narrated from Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar concerning Ja'far ibn Abi Talib's dancing and his endorsement of Sufi dancing correct, or is what came in "Fath al-Bari" regarding the Sufis' erroneous deduction of the permissibility of dancing from the Hadith of Abyssinia the correct one, and what is the correct position regarding this contradiction?
The Yusufiya Encyclopedia attributes a question to Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar regarding the dancing of the Sufis, in which it is mentioned that Ja'far ibn Abi Talib danced before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Prophet did not object to him. It then ruled on the permissibility of dancing, citing the action of the Abyssinians in the mosque as proof. The source referred to two books: "Al-Sayf al-Qati'" by Al-Suyuti and "Al-Ilhamat al-Ilahiya" by Abu al-Shamat.
Upon verification, it was found that the book "Al-Ilhamat al-Ilahiya" did not specify which Ibn Hajar was intended, and research revealed that the mentioned fatwa belongs to Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (died 974 AH) in his book "Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiya," and not to Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.
As for the book "Al-Sayf al-Qati'," it was not found among Al-Suyuti's works. However, similar wording was found in Al-Suyuti's book "Al-Hawi li al-Fatawi," mentioning the dancing of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib as a basis for Sufi dancing, and the validity of standing and dancing according to a group of prominent imams, and he did not attribute it to Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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