Assalaamu Alaikum My mum hates me playing sports. I am a 15 year old Muslim girl. I am quite sporty but no other person in my family really is. So, when I want to do something related to sport, my parents shrug it off and try to keep me at home. Even when I simply want to play basketball in the park my mum thinks girls shouldn’t run around. I wear the Hijab and dress quite modestly but it seems this is not enough for her. I find playing sports is a way to de-stress and have fun at the same time and this really is my only serious hobby. I really don’t know what to do. Could you please help!

Sister Rukhaya London

Answer

It’s so great to hear from young brothers and sisters, sister Rukhaya! Let me assure you that whatever your mother thinks is no doubbt what is best for you as you are her daughter! Islam is not against sport, rather it encourages it. The Holy Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad-ur Rasullullaah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) advised His followers to engage in many forms of sport, which even today are considered the best form of exercise.

However, as regards to sister’s partaking in sport, Islam lays down rules that create balance between a Muslim woman’s right to practice sport and the necessity of preserving her dignity and honour. In this regard, Islam sets certain restrictions in order to safeguard Muslim women against immoralities and indecency and to preserve their chastity while preserving their right in practicing sports.

Shaykh Faisal Mawlawi says that the requirements to be met for a Muslim woman to practice sport relate, at all scales, to her duty to cover the `awrah (parts of the body that are not supposed to be exposed to others; in front of women, her `awrah is from the navel to the knee; in front of men, it is all of her body). Thus, if there is a sport that woman can practice while adhering to this requirement, then it is permissible for her so long as all other religious requirements are fulfilled. It is an irrefutable fact that woman’s practicing sport is, in principle, is accepted in Islam. However, there are many conditions that are to be met in this respect. They are as follows:

a) Women must not adorn themselves for the purpose of being seen by men. (This will be difficult in your case if you, as you put it, simply play basketball in the park. Games such as basketball played in a public arena is not befitting to the honour of a Muslimah.).

b) They must not unveil any of their private parts that Islam orders them to cover.

c) They must not intermingle with men in any way that brings them physically close together. I will encourage you to have another serious hobby which is to study the Seerah (life) of your beloved mother, Umm ul Mu’mineen, Hadhrat Aisha Siddiqua (Radi Allah Anha) and take her as your role model!

(VERILY, ALLAH TAA’LA IS ALL-KNOWING!)