What is the ruling on a woman reciting poetry in front of men?

We have previously explained the ruling on a woman's voice and the jurists' differing opinions on whether it is considered awrah (nakedness), as well as the consensus among scholars that it is not permissible for a woman to speak in front of men if her speech involves submissiveness, softness, or a softening of the voice, due to the Almighty's saying: "Then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech."

If the speech is devoid of such qualities, and it is appropriate speech necessitated by a need, then there is no harm in it. We base this on the statement of Al-Ghazali in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: "A woman's voice, not in singing, is not awrah. Women in the time of the Companions continuously spoke to men in greetings, seeking fatwas, asking questions, consultation, and other matters."

Accordingly, it is permissible for a woman to recite poetry in front of non-mahram men, subject to the following conditions: 1. That its words do not contain anything forbidden, such as flirtation or romantic description. 2. That the woman adheres to Islamic manners, such as wearing the hijab, avoiding khalwa (private seclusion with a non-mahram), speaking appropriately, avoiding softness in speech, softening her voice, and chanting it. 3. That there is no fear of fitna (temptation) for the woman or the listeners. If these conditions are met, we find nothing to prevent it.