Strange is the human being! Allah has allowed us to enjoy countless blessings and bounties, yet we often chase after what brings us harm and destruction. People abandon the religious regulations of sports practiced to strengthen the body and maintain health, and engage in activities that are forbidden, exposing themselves to corruption and ruin. Sports are not mere physical activities but a means to enhance both physical and mental health. A sound mind resides in a sound body, as long as the individual adheres to the Islamic guidelines and does not get distracted from worshipping Allah. In fact, sports can transform from a permissible activity to an act of worship and a means of drawing closer to Allah if a Muslim intends to use it to strengthen themselves for life’s responsibilities, benefiting their Ummah and religion. Allah says the Almighty says, “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy.” (Al-Anfal: 60) Additionally, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them.” (Narrated by Muslim) From this, we understand that Islam encourages maintaining and caring for the body as it is a trust that we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment.
Women just as man must also adhere to the Islamic guidelines during practicing sports. Otherwise, her activities can shift from permissible to sinful.
Women and Bodybuilding
Despite Islam’s respect and honor of women by prescribing what preserves their nature and femininity, many women still demean themselves and ignore their innate qualities, claiming that women, like men, can do anything! Today, we see many women participating in sports that do not align with their nature and femininity, such as bodybuilding. Originally intended to maintain health and strengthen the body through muscle building, these goals have become an obsession for many women, leading them to excessively enlarge their bodies and achieve a physique resembling nothing of femininity. They have cast aside all the Islamic guidelines for sports regarding attire and adornment, displaying their bodies publicly while competing with men! Transitioning the practicing of the sport from a permissible activity to a forbidden one.
It is forbidden for a woman to engage in bodybuilding to enlarge her muscles to the point of resembling male physiques. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed men who copy women and cursed women who copy men.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari) Scholar Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) commented: “Al-Tabari said that it is not permissible for men to imitate women in clothing and adornment specific to women, and vice versa. I added: This also applies to speech and walking.”
Many women who have damaged their bodies with this obsession regret their altered appearance and the numerous health issues caused by excessive bodybuilding. One such example is Sophia Aris, a former bodybuilding influencer, confessed in an interview with The Guardian that she quit the sport because it made her “miserable and lonely,” severely affecting her mental and physical health.
Criticisms faced by female bodybuilders due to their altered bodies are widespread. On the forum bodybuilding.com, under the “Misc” category, there were over 60,000 comments attacking and mocking the appearance of female bodybuilders. Some questioned why women would want to look unattractive like men when they naturally possess beauty, while others outright called them gross and man-faced!
Health Risks of Bodybuilding for Women
The health risks associated with excessive bodybuilding are numerous! According to a report by The Washington Post, professional bodybuilding causes severe health problems for women. Women bodies cannot naturally attain such extreme muscle mass, leading them to use drugs like anabolic steroids, which cause significant hormonal disruptions resulting in changes such as shrinking hips and breasts, increased facial and chest hair, male-pattern baldness, acne, deepening of the voice, and enlargement of the clitoris, which can cause pain in the sensitive area. These changes lead to long-term physical and psychological problems, and women may never return to their natural state after stopping steroid abuse.
Using growth hormones also leads to bone enlargement and facial changes like a larger jaw and more prominent brow ridges. It affects heart health, causing heart enlargement, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats, increasing the risk of serious heart diseases.
Moreover, there are significant reproductive health risks. Steroid abuse disrupts hormonal balance, affecting the natural production of reproductive hormones, leading to infertility and uterine atrophy, impacting their ability to conceive and maintain reproductive health.
Psychologically, steroids cause severe mental health issues such as increased aggression, violence, major mood disorders like insomnia and depression, and in rare cases, psychosis and suicide. Women experience immense psychological pressure due to the obsessive focus on physical appearance and rapid changes. About 30% of steroid users develop addiction due to psychological and biological factors. Many also suffer from muscle dysmorphia, seeing themselves as smaller than they are and fearing muscle loss without reason.
Additionally, Dr. Saeed Al-Hefnawi, Professor of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, and member of the Anti-Doping Committee of the Olympic Committee, says: There are several types of steroids, but the most dangerous are anabolic steroids, which work to enlarge muscle mass. They cause diseases like infertility, brain clots and hemorrhages, and gender transformation: male to female and female to male, among many other diseases.
With all these risks, why would a woman subject herself to such harm? For what purpose? To satisfy personal vanity and compete with men, and to pump enormous profits into the accounts of major companies that sponsor such farces!
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Islamqa.
Islam Way.
Business Insider, A bodybuilding influencer quit working out, saying it made her 'miserable' and 'lonely'.
Washington Post, What bodybuilders do to their bodies — and brains.
