Islamic sports

Islamic sports represents the adherence of the beliefs of Islam within a sporting context. The concept is addressed by Sharia and formed through Islamic history. In Islam, sports are perceived as important to gain a healthy body. Sports like swimming and horseback riding are especially encouraged by Hadith. There are, however, some other sports that are banned in Islam. Any sports that involve killing (i.e. hunting) are strictly forbidden according to Islamic Law Sharia.

Etymology

The Arabic word for athletics is رياضية riyadiya, which is derived from verb root ر و ض.

Sharia

The Islamic law, or Sharia, sets several bounds that indirectly impact Muslim athletes. This includes rules regarding the awrah, those parts of the body not to be exposed in public. The hijab or Burqas required by strict divisions of Islam can make it difficult for women to engage in many sports. Also, men are not allowed to have clothing that shows the area between the knees and navel, prohibiting them from engaging in, for example, Sumo wrestling. For some time, Iranian women at the Olympics only competed in shooting because it was the one area unaffected by their dress codes. To solve this, many sports companies have begun creating Muslim-friendly sportswear, particularly for Muslims, especially women, who practice martial arts such as kickboxing and taekwondo and can be worn in conjunction with the traditional keikogi or other associated uniform whilst still maintaining their modesty.