SUNNAH SPORTS (SWIMMING)

SWIMMING IS A GOOD SPORT, BUT THERE HAS SOME BORDERS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE.

Muslim women going out to public centres and swimming pools is something that is emphatically forbidden, because it involves a number of evils and negative consequences. If these swimming pools are in public centres that are frequented by men and women, this is a great evil. Abu Daawood (4010) and at-Tirmidhi (2803), who classed the report as hasan, narrated from Abu Maleeh al-Hudhali that some women from Syria entered upon ‘Aa’ishah and she said:

 Perhaps you are the people whose women enter bathhouses? They said: Yes. She said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “There is no woman who removes her clothes anywhere other than her house, but she has torn (the screen) that is between her and Allaah.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.

At-Tirmidhi (2801) also narrated from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not let his wife enter bathhouses.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. What is meant by bathhouses here is the kind of bathhouses that existed in the past (hamaam or “Turkish bath”), because houses did not have bathrooms at that time. The reason why women were forbidden to enter them is because of what happens in them of uncovering the ‘awrah, looking at that which is haraam and exposure to fitnah (temptation), although bathhouses at that time were not mixed.

So what about bathhouses that are mixed and public swimming pools in which ‘awrahs are uncovered and exposed? The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said: For men and women to swim together and then shake hands with one another after swimming is a great evil and it is not permissible to do it. The one who does that should be denounced and the ruler should prevent them from doing it. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 17/49