Wrestling

Question:-

We are trying to incorporate Sunnah sports into our children’s Tarbiyah.

With regards to wrestling, would Jui Jitsu fall into the category of Sunnah wrestling?

Also, is it permissible to train in Muay Thai or kickboxing? Is one allowed to hit in the face during training? If not, can one still do it without hitting in the face?

Answer:- 

1. Wrestling is Sunnah as understood from the Kitaabs of Hadith. Wrestling is different to Jui Jitsu and the objectives also differ from each other. Jui Jitsu is a Japanese art of self-defence which comprises of kicking, punching, joint locks, chokes and throws, whereas wrestling focuses on strength technique and knocking down the opponent. Wrestling is Sunnah and should be practiced as illustrated by Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, where the opposite party is not harmed in any way,  but merely wrestled and thrown onto the ground.

However, there is no harm is learning self-defence in its various forms whether Karate, Jui Jitsu etc. as long as it does not comprise of any impermissible practices such as the Satr being exposed when training, or females and males training together, or injuring the other party in anyway etc. Also, such training should be carried out with the intention of Jihaad for which one will be rewarded. [Re:- Fataawa Haqqaniyyah Pg.430 Vol.2 / Fataawa Darul Uloom Deoband Pg.272/274 Vol.16]

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الحَسَنِ العَسْقَلَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رُكَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رُكَانَةَ صَارَعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَرَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ رُكَانَةُ: -[248]- سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ فَرْقَ مَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ المُشْرِكِينَ العَمَائِمُ عَلَى القَلَانِسِ»: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَإِسْنَادُهُ لَيْسَ بِالقَائِمِ، وَلَا نَعْرِفُ أَبَا الحَسَنِ العَسْقَلَانِيَّ، وَلَا ابْنَ رُكَانَةَ

42 – [1784] قَوْلُهُ (عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْعَسْقَلَانِيِّ) قَالَ فِي التَّقْرِيبِ مَجْهُولٌ (عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رُكَانَةَ) قَالَ فِي التَّقْرِيبِ مَجْهُولٌ (أَنَّ ركانة) بضم أوله وتخفيف الكاف بْنِ عَبْدِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ الْمُطَّلِبِيِّ مِنْ مُسْلِمَةِ الْفَتْحِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ وَمَاتَ فِي أَوَّلِ خِلَافَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ (صَارَعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) قَالَ فِي الصُّرَاحِ مصارعه كشتى كرفتن يُقَالُ صَارَعْتُهُ فَصَرَعْتُهُ أَصْرَعُهُ صَرْعًا بِالْفَتْحِ لِتَمِيمٍ وَبِالْكَسْرِ لِقَيْسٍ (فَصَرَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) أَيْ غَلَبَهُ فِي الْمُصَارَعَةِ وَطَرَحَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ )(تحفة الاحوزي ص393 ج5)

2. In Muay Thai and kickboxing, both parties are harmed either due to kicking or punching etc. whereas this is not the objective of training. The objective is to exercise, keep fit and prepare for Jihaad. If both parties are protected from all forms of harm and injury such as punching, hitting on the face, kicking and all other impermissible practices, then there is no problem in participating in self-defence training in its various forms.

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 02 Safar 1444 / 31 August 2022