Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- A Muslim is commanded to have a sound body and mind, as well as sound morals. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak one” (Muslim)
2- This means that practicing sports is highly recommended. However, when practicing sports one should take all the safety measures so as to protect his life and health, especially when practicing dangerous or risky sports.
Responding to the question, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council of North America, states the following:
Generally speaking, the protection of life is very important in Islam. Islam emphasizes the safeguarding of human life, but at the same time it does not forbid us to embark on adventures.
Therefore, any sport that is deemed fatal and life-threatening should be avoided. But if a sport is considered adventurous and there are safety measures to be taken to protect one’s life, then there is nothing wrong with practicing it while making sure that one’s life is safe.
The idea of “dangerous sports” can be applicable to many sports; even horseback riding can be dangerous, but if someone is taking measures to protect his life, then there is no wrong with that.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.