Women watching men playing sports

27-12-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

Muslims are deriving so many Fatwas from the Hadeeth which says 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, watched Abyssinian people playing with spears on 'Eed. Was not 'Aa'ishah only 9 years-old at that time? That means before puberty? So how can this Hadeeth be used to say that we can watch sports etc. In fact in almost all the sports men and women do not even cover their Awrah. Hope you will answer this question.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

The scholars differed about the issue of a woman looking to a marriageable man without a desire. Among their evidences is the narration stated in the question. Imaam, Al-Bukhari titled a chapter: [The book of a woman looking to the Ethiopians and the like without suspicion]. Some scholars stated that 'Aa'ishah was looking at the Ethiopians (while they were playing with bayonets) when she was sixteen years old. It is worth mentioning here that a person may reach the age of puberty before the age of fifteen.

The opinion that it is permissible for a woman to look at a marriageable man when there is no temptation is the most preponderant opinion in Islamweb.

Concerning the age of 'Aa'ishah when the Prophet consummated the marriage with her, she was nine.

There is no doubt that saying that it is permissible for a woman to look at a marriageable man is bound to religious requirements because it is not permissible for a woman to look to the 'Awrah (the part of the body that should be covered in Islam) of a man even if he is her Mahram (unmarriageable relative) let alone if he is a marriageable man to her. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa: 88842.

Allaah knows best.