Which sports did the Prophet Muhammad encourage?
Yes, several. Archery, horse riding and running are the clearest examples. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ practised and praised them, held horse races, raced his wife on foot, and let people show off their skill with spears in the mosque. Swimming and wrestling are also mentioned in some reports. The wider message is that Islam values a strong, healthy body.
Archery
The Prophet ﷺ passed some men practising archery and said, "Practice archery as your father Isma'il was a great archer," then joined in cheering them on (Sahih al-Bukhari 2899). Explaining the Quran's command to be prepared, he said three times, "Strength consists in archery" (Sahih Muslim 1917). The verse he referred to is:
Horse riding and racing
He said, "Good will remain in the foreheads of horses till the Day of Resurrection" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2849). He organised horse races in Medina over set distances, and Ibn Umar took part (Sahih al-Bukhari 420). He also allowed prizes in only three kinds of contest: camel racing, horse racing and archery (Sunan Abi Dawud 2574).
Running
Aisha said she raced the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and won. Years later they raced again and he won, and he laughed, "This is for that" (Sunan Abi Dawud 2578). It shows that sport can be light-hearted fun between husband and wife, not only training for battle.
Swimming, wrestling and spear play
- Swimming: a narration in an-Nasa'i's as-Sunan al-Kubra, graded authentic by al-Albani, lists learning to swim among the pastimes that aren't idle. The famous line "teach your children swimming, archery and horse riding" is usually attributed to Umar, not to the Prophet ﷺ himself.
- Wrestling: a report says he wrestled a strong man named Rukanah and won (Sunan Abi Dawud 4078). Its chain is weak, but the story is well known in the seerah.
- Spear display: he screened Aisha so she could watch Abyssinians showing their skill with spears in the mosque (Sahih al-Bukhari 454).
What this means for sport today
These were the useful sports of his time. Scholars say modern sports like football, cycling, swimming or the gym share the same goal: strength, health and good company. The Prophet ﷺ said, "A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer" (Sahih Muslim 2664). Keep your prayers, your modesty and your manners, and most sports are open to you. See Can I still go swimming at a public pool as a Muslim? and Can I still wear shorts to the gym as a Muslim?
- Archery, horse riding and running are clearly praised in authentic hadith.
- Swimming and wrestling appear in other, less certain reports.
- The Prophet ﷺ also enjoyed sport as play, racing his wife.
- Modern sports serve the same goal of a strong, healthy believer.
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