Women in sports

18-2-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

DOES ISLAM PERMITS WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Islam permits the person to enjoy oneself and profit from his free time i.e. out of work as long as he does not engage in what Allah has forbidden. Engaging in free time activities should not be to the extent of neglecting any of what Allah has prescribed, committing what He has forbidden or spending too much time on enjoyment and sports.
There should not be any mixing between males and females nor should there be any forbidden acts like drinking alcohol, listening to music or calling to commit bad acts.
On the other hand, these activities should be of some clear benefit to the person like keeping fit, doing mental exercises increasing knowledge or acquiring some new useful experiences.
So, if the sports, games, or activities meet these conditions they are lawful and may be engaged in by men or women, provided that the women are in a place where no man could see them.
Allah knows best.