Question :
A question was asked about the ruling of playing sports while wearing shorts.
Fatwa in Brief: It is not permitted to expose
one’s thighs while playing sports.
Shaykh Ibn al-‘Uthaymin, Fatawa Islamiyya, 431/4
Response:
According to Imam Malik (r.a.) the thigh is not part of
the “‘awra” [the parts of one’s body that it is
legally obligated to shield from the sight of others].
From this, we say that it permitted to play sports while
wearing short pants.
Commentary:
Covering the ‘awra is compulsory for both men and
women. The ‘awra of men is different to that of
women. The ‘awra of a woman is every part of her
body, except her hands and face. This is based on the
aya in which women are instructed:
“To display of their adornment only that which is
apparent”. (Q. 24: 31)
Scholars have agreed that the ‘awra of men is the
genitals and anus. It it is not permitted to look at
them and one’s prayers are broken, if these areas are
not covered. There are different opinions about the
other parts of the body, like the navel, thighs and
knees, however. The majority of scholars are of the
opinion that it is compulsory to cover the ‘awra
based on the hadith narrated by Ahmad, al-Hakim
and al-Bukhari in which the Prophet (upon him be peace)
passed by Ma‘mar whose thighs were exposed, and the
Prophet (upon him be peace) said: “Cover your thighs for
indeed the thighs are part of the ‘awra”. In the
hadith collections of Malik and At-Tirmidhi, the
Prophet (upon him be peace) is also reported to said
this to another man. From these reports, the majority of
scholars argue that the prayers of someone who exposes
their thigh are broken. According to this
interpretation, the prayers of those men who wear shorts
while playing sport are invalid. And the majority of
scholars therefore argue that one must wear clothes that
cover the ‘awra when playing sport.
If there is a need or necessity, however, it is
permitted to follow the opinion which says that thighs
are not part of the ‘awra. This opinion is based
on a hadith, attributed to Anas in al-Bukhari,
in which, on the Day of Khaibar, the Prophet (upon him
be peace) raised his waist wrap (izar) up to his
thighs. In so doing, he exposed them until Anas “was
looking at the fairness of his thighs”. Imam Malik
follows this opinion.[1]
And God knows best.
Dr. Anas Abu Shadi
Shaykh ‘Atiyya Saqr, Fatawa Dar al-Ifta’
al-Misriyya, no. 173, May 1997.