Question:
Is it permissible to wear shorts when participating in sports like running, cycling, swimming, etc.?
Answer:
Some views from within the Madhab of Imam Malik bin Anas [Allah be
pleased with him]
Here we cite:
Imam Malik distinguishes between Awrah Mughalladha [heavy awrah] and Awrah Muhakhaffafa [lighter awrah]. For a male the mughalladha are the private parts while the rest of the body is considered as mukhaffafa. It is forbidden for a man to expose his heavy awrah before the public while it is Ja-iz [permissible] to expose the remaining lighter awrah if a need arises. Some hold the opinion that it is Makru [disliked] to expose the lighter awarah in public [like in the sport of football as mentioned in the question]. If we consider the Madhab of Imam Malik then participating in football wearing a shorts with the thigh exposed is permissible or at most disliked but not prohibited. The remaining schools of thought, namely the Shafi’iyya, Ahnaf/Hanafiya and Hanabila/Hanbali might differ with Imam Malik on the point of heavy and lighter awrah but it is an opinion within the four Sunni schools of the thought, which has been mentioned and considered for over a thousand years.
Shaykh Muhammad Allie Khalfe
