Covering Nakedness While Swimming

Question: I recently heard that Muslims should wear shorts from navel to knees when we are swimming. But I don’t have this kind of shorts. My shorts only cover to the knee but not up to the navel. A few days ago I ordered the Islamic shorts but they have not arrived yet. Can I swim in the meantime with regular shorts until the Islamic shorts arrive? Or should I wait? Is it haram if I don’t use Islamic shorts?

Answer:

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. It is truly a great thing that you have learned the ruling and decided to apply it in your life right away. May Allah reward you for that and give you great ease in applying the shari`ah in everything else.

It is obligatory to cover between navel and knees, and a little beyond, to ensure that the nakedness stays covered with movement. It would not be permissible to swim in shorts that expose the nakedness. See this link for all the details:

https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/mens-awra-swimming/

You might also consider buying a pair of three quarter length compression pants to wear under your regular swimming shorts. This way, your nakedness is guaranteed to stay covered.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.