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| Karate - A sport for self-defense |
That is, it is permissible to play sports but it depends on the way it is carried out.
Since sport is defined as ‘physical activities in the form of games,
competitions and races that aim to improve fitness’, nobody can avoid
sport regardless of age and state; everybody is engaged in some kind of
sport somehow; everybody plays sports or is somehow interested in some
kind of sport.
Sport activities that date back to the beginning of the humankind have
assumed very different dimensions today; sport has become an
international activity, a universal language and a means of publicity.
Every nation has started to speak that common language. Sport has
increased its range quite a lot with the support of mass media like TV
and the internet.
The majority of the people have focused on a single point at the end of
some sports activities especially national squad football matches.
Sport attracts people regardless of the level of education and
worldview. We have found ourselves in it sometimes as a nation and
sometimes as an ummah.
Sport is a discipline and a set of rules like any other activities. The
rule, “the game must be played by the rules” is valid in sport the
most. The fact that human dimension is involved makes such a thought
obligatory.
When we look at sport in terms of life and belief discipline, it has a
tradition and past that it is based on. When its past is examined within
the framework of Islam, it will be seen that it has binding aspects.
We see main branches of sport in the civilized discipline of the Era of
Bliss peculiar to itself. It is interesting and nice that almost all of
the branches of sport that existed at that time still exist today
either in the same form or in modified forms.
The main sports that our Prophet was personally engaged in, encouraged
others and stated the principles of are as follows: wrestling, running,
competition, horse racing, camel racing, swimming and archery; he watched
these activities individually and in groups, and rewarded the ones that
won.
Wrestling: In order to become a Muslim, Rukana b. Abdulyazid, one of
the famous wrestlers of that age, laid it down as a condition for our
Prophet to beat him in wrestling; our Prophet beat him several times.
Thereupon, Rukana became a Muslim.
It is written in the Siyar (life of the Prophet) resources that our
Prophet wrestled with people other than Rukana too, that children of the
Companions who reached the age of puberty wrestled each other during
the ceremony for recruiting soldiers every year and that Hazrat Hasan
and Hazrat Husayn wrestled in the presence of the Messenger of Allah.
Archery: Archery has a significant place in sunnah as a sport of war
and a tool of jihad. Our Prophet stated the following, “All of you
should be engaged in shooting arrows”
On another occasion, when the
Prophet was told that a group of Companions went somewhere for fun, the
Prophet expressed some discontent at first; however, when he was told
that they went for shooting arrows, he said, “Archery is not
entertainment. It is the best thing that you do for entertainment.”
The
prophet stated that sport would ease a person psychologically by
saying, “When you are overwhelmed by sorrow and distress, you can do
nothing but take your bow and arrow to overcome it.”
Our Prophet always complimented on the Companions who were good at
shooting arrows. He used the sentence, “May my mother and father be
sacrificed for you”, which he used for nobody else, for Sa’d b. Abi
Waqqas, due to his shooting on target during the Battle of Uhud.
Due to
the encouragement of the Prophet, the Companions gave importance to
archery; they shot arrows at any opportunity, even after the evening
prayer until the weather got dark.
Our Prophet even supported some groups during the archery competitions.
Salama bin Aqwa narrates how the Prophet supported some groups as
follows:
The Messenger of Allah met a group of people who were competing in
archery from Bani Aslam. He said to them, “O Sons of Ismail! Shoot your
arrows; your ancestors were good at archery. Shoot! I support such and
such tribe”
Thereupon, one group stopped shooting arrows. The Prophet said, “What
happened? Why did you stop shooting? They replied as follows:
”How shall we shoot? You support the other group.” Thereupon, the Prophet said,
“Shoot! I support both groups.”6
The Prophet supported groups in a very special way. He did not break the heart of anyone; he supported each achievement.
Giving prizes to the winner in horse and camel races: The Prophet gave
great importance to horses; he encouraged people to breed horses.
According to narrations, he had about 19 horses at various times.
According to the statement of Ibn Umar, the Messenger of Allah would
train his horse and then take part in competitions with it. Saying, “There are presents for three things: Camel racing, horse
racing and archery” the Prophet rewarded the winners of the races,
encouraging others.
The Quran praises the horse, which is originally an element of jihad,
in a very nice way. The horses are described as follows in the first
five verses of the chapter al-Adiyat:
“By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath), and strike sparks of
fire, and push home the charge in the morning, and raise the dust in
clouds the while, and penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en
masse― ...”
Swimming: Our Prophet learned how to swim in Madinah during his
childhood; he encouraged the Companions who migrated to Abyssinia during
the Meccan Period; he stated that he was pleased with those who knew
how to swim. Hazrat Umar emphasized the importance of swimming by
saying, “Teach your children how to swim.”
Walking and running: Our Prophet said, “There is a reward for each step
of a person who runs between two targets.”; he also attracted attention
to the benefits of walking by saying, “Compete in archery, have a fit
body and walk barefoot.”
9 The Prophet himself raced against Hazrat Aisha
twice; in the first race, Hazrat Aisha ran faster and won the race; in
the second one, Hazrat Aisha lost the race due to putting on weight; the
Prophet, who won the race, said, “This is the revenge of the first
race; now we are even.”
10
When it is examined carefully, it can be seen that the criteria and
principles that become prominent in these examples, which exist in the
sunnah, are to preserve one’s physical condition, to maintain one’s
life, vitality, honor and belief, to be fit, to be strong, and to be
prepared to fight against the enemy. That is, the kinds of sports that
are present in the sunnah are games that have certain aims, targets and
benefits. When a person plays sports, he takes pleasure, keeps fit and
gains rewards by fulfilling a sunnah act.
Besides, in all kinds of sports that are present in the sunnah, there
exist general Islamic criteria. Acts that will cause grudge, hatred and
animosity are not allowed in the races and games. In archery and
horse racing, both the winners and losers are taken into consideration;
those who rank in the competition are given prizes and the losers are
asked to make efforts. Those races never turn to gambling.
The Companions had their own jobs to do. Some of them were engaged in
science and education. They had families. The sports activities did not
cause them to neglect their daily tasks, lifestyles and worshiping; the
sports activities did not make them fanatics because they were aware of
what they were doing, why they were doing them and how much time they
needed to allocate.
When sports are seen from the framework of general criteria of the
sunnah, it is clear that running, racing, swimming, horse riding,
shooting, wrestling, far east sports like judo, karate and tae kwon do,
and fencing should be taught to young people since they have qualities
that develop young people and prepare them for the future. These
branches of sport and other legitimate games are means of development
and entertainment during the childhood period; they are means of
activity and letting off steam during the youth period; they will defend
people and protect them from various diseases that can be caused by
inactivity when they are old.
Shooting, horse riding, swimming and running are more important than
other sports because they will be regarded as worshiping if they are
done with a sincere intention since they prepare young people for the
struggle in the future.
Apart from the benefits we have mentioned, sport gives man
determination to live, enthusiasm for worshiping and working, and a
piece of mind. It develops certain abilities of man. It enables young
people to let off steam. It can be used as a means of conveying the
message of Islam. The belief, ethics and lifestyle of a sportsman who
has religious and spiritual values can serve as a good example for young
people.
If people act consciously, team sports cause people to be civilized.
They bring about cooperation, solidarity and common actions. They enable
common feelings and thoughts to appear and to be shared. They make
people get used to discipline and make them active. Besides, sport can
be used as a good means of publicity and advertisement. The
self-confidence of a nation can be established thanks to sport. It can
be used as a means of showing the power of a state in the international
arena.
1. Abu Dawud, Libas 21.
2. Muslim, Imarah 168.
3. Kanzu’l-Ummal, 4:292.
4. Bukhari, Maghazi 18.
5. Abu Dawud, Sala 6.
6. Bukhari, Jihad 78.
7. Abu Dawud, Jihad 67.
8. Abu Dawud, Jihad 67.
9. Majmau’z-Zawaid, 5:136.
10. Abu Dawud, Jihad 67.
Sports is health
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