[Grainiary]

Assalamoalaikum. I know this is a very wacky problem but this has been heckling my mind for some time. I am a teenage boy and I once used to work out and exercise. Later, I decided to give it up because I found out that I was not using my strength for good causes. I decided to give it up and leave it to Allah how much strength I was to have. Because I have very little naturally-acquired strength, I usually pray to Allah to grant me that strength which I need and which I deserve. Recently, students in my class were having these arm wrestling competitions where students wrestle their arms and find out whose strong. A very nerdy and studious boy came to me and challenged me to a fight. At first I refused but he started intimidating me on which I accepted it and I wrestled and I lost. I was very surprised when I was defeated. I admit I was a little arrogant (Allah forgive me) but I still couldn’t drink in the fact that I was beaten by a nerd. I vowed to resume working out and beat him one day or the other. But the this little confusing thought came into my mind. I wondered whether I should really start working out because if I do, then it will prove the fact that I do not trust in Allah. After all I am praying to him to grant me some physical strength and if I go around working out, then it will show that I am not satisfied with the strength Allah has given me. At the same time, I also thought that I should work out because it is Allah's way of granting me some strength. Allah obviously doesn't grant it directly but He grants it through some other means. I hose you understand my problem. It is really wired up but I really want to know about this. Looking forward to your replies. Thank you.

[Kennypor]

There is nothing wrong in working out to be stronger. But actions are by intentions. So if you workout to beat the other boy just to please your ego, then its not right. Rather accept defeat, because it will help you control yout ego. Rather do workout for the sake of Allah because a strong believer is better a he will be able to protect himsrlf and his family. Btw i m skinny and a nerd. Lol. Dont get angry with me if i ever beat you in atm wrestling. Lolz

[xesvideo]

Train for strength as much as you want. There is no downside to being strong. The stronger you are the better. Just keep in mind that this doesn't mean you train and eat like a bodybuilder to get big and impress the ladies.

[JakilSong]

brother,

You should really do some research and ask qualified people (I'm not one of them) before you issue 'fatwas' to yourself. This is what you effectively did by telling yourself (more or less) that working out and being physically fit is somehow against Islam. I would like to respectfully mention that that is probably a wrong way of thinking. I am not a scholar so don't take my comments as such. However what I'm about to say are things I've read/heard through reliable sources (bayans, reliable sites online, etc).

Islam actually condones and encourages physical fitness. The body that we have been blessed with is a gift from Allah and we have to take care of it. Just like we make salat, do zikr, etc, to nourish our rooh (soul), we need to take care of our physical being as well. Of course, salat serves as not only spiritual nourishment, but as physical exercise as well... that is the beauty of Islam.

At the time of the Prophet , Muslim brothers being physically fit was the norm. They weren't couch potatoes like so many of us are today (well, I guess I should only speak for myself...lol). Kids were diligently taught skills like horseback riding, archery, and swimming (today's equivalent of what's known as "land, air, and sea" in military terms). Hadhrat Umar was a prime example of a physically fit Muslim. In fact, the Prophet is reported to have a muscular build, and there were many, many more sahaba (may Allah have mercy on them all) who were very fit physically and would put even the 'fittest' people today to shame.

So, like I said, Islam encourages physical fitness and a balanced diet + exercise program should be a part of each and every Muslim's life (male and female). That being said, proper etiquette and rules of Islam have to be observed. Sisters cannot work out in a gym, they have to do so in the privacy of their own home (or somewhere else completely private where if there is going to be someone else present, it would be their husband only). As far as brothers going to the gym, I will not comment much on that but you can do your research on it and ask a qualified sheikh. It is a controversial issue though the consensus is that one should not go to a gym where men/women mix freely and work out together (as is the norm in the gyms in the western world today). It is easy to do a nice workout at home, even without any fitness equipment, with calisthenics (body-weight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, etc). Also, one can invest in a cheap set of dumbbells and a balance board to take their workout to the next level Insha'Allah. Space and funding permitting, one can even get a treadmill and/or other equipment at home, though that is not necessary and should only be done if one can fully afford it in cash (without taking loans/messing with interest) and one has space to keep it at home where it won't come in anyone's way, etc.

All of that being said, like brother Amr said in the post above, it's all about the intentions. One's intention in exercising should be to follow the way of the Prophet and his companions , to do it as a way of thanking Allah swt for blessing us with this body so we are going to take care of it, to do it to be able to be strong and take care of one's family, and most importantly to be able to stay physically fit to always worship Allah swt properly, being able to stand for long rakats in tahajjud, etc. If you go work out with the intention of looking 'cool' or beating kids in school in arm wrestling, then that is the wrong intention. I know that's easier said than done, especially as a teenager (been there), but Insha'Allah you can understand what I am trying to say here.

My advice would be to start exercising and be as physically fit as you can be (in a balanced, Islamically correct manner of course, don't go to extremes), but do it with sincere intentions, such as the examples mentioned above. Also, don't show your physical strength unless absolutely needed (in other words, be humble, don't be a "show-off"). Let the other kid think that he is stronger than you. It comes in a hadith something to the effect that the stronger person is not he who can wrestle the best but rather he who can back down from a fight (i.e. be the 'bigger' man by saying "no, I'm not fighting" even if he is being instigated to fight).

Most importantly, you are absolutely right that it is Allah swt who gives strength. If one starts working out and starts seeing improvement in their physical fitness, they need to keep in mind that it is happening only due to the order of Allah swt. All the gym equipment and personal trainers in the world combined cannot have an effect on someone's physical fitness level without the order of Allah swt. Similarly, one can only be doing some simple exercises at home with no equipment and yet Allah puts so much barakat in it that these exercises end up giving better results than doing a full-fledged workout at the gym. So we must always make dua to Allah swt to give us all that is good in this life and in the hereafter. Ameen.

That doesn't mean, though, that we should sit and do nothing and only make dua for Allah to give us physical strength, without working for it. Of course, Allah swt can do anything, but we have to take action. That's just like the person who says "since Allah is the Provider, I am not going to try to earn a living for my family and Allah will just send me whatever rizq He wants to send me". Of course, Allah can do anything, that's not the point; the point is that that is the wrong way of thinking that we will just do nothing and wait for Allah swt to do it for us.

There's a saying in Urdu "harkat mein barkat hai" which definitely applies to physical fitness also. The literal meaning of this saying is "in movement there is barkat". What it's saying is that in taking action there is barkat, so we should not just wait for things to happen but rather take action and Insha'Allah with the help of our Creator, we will accomplish what we are trying to accomplish. The saying sounds good in Urdu since it rhymes and stuff.

The below-linked article, though it only very briefly mentions physical fitness for a Muslim, may be of benefit:

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/in...icles&id=65223

May Allah swt forgive me for anything I said wrong. Ameen.

May Allah give us all the taufeeq to take care of our bodies that he has blessed us with. Ameen.

Please remember my family and I in our duas brother.

Allah knows best.

JazakAllah.

[Grainiary]

thank you for your replies both of you. You have really enlightened me on this topic. I think i will start working out and i will ensure that i do that with a pure intention and i shall constantly remember Allah while doing it. Thank you again.