As a Muslim, you will also feel the urge to wear shorts on a hot summer’s day or while doing some physical activities. Wearing shorts can be more comfortable for you and lower your body’s temperature…
But, can Muslims wear shorts?
According to most scholars, Muslim children under the age of 10 may wear shorts at any length, Muslim adult men may wear shorts that are below the knee, and Muslim adult women may not wear shorts of any kind, in public.
In this article, I will try to cover every aspect of Muslims wearing shorts.
Can Muslim Men Wear Shorts?
Muslim men can wear shorts that are long enough to cover their awrah. The majority of scholars agree that the adult male awrah is from his navel to his knees.
Some scholars may differ and argue that the navel itself is not part of the male awrah, and therefore doesn’t need to be covered, but the general majority agrees that the navel is included as part of a male’s awrah.
Similarly, some argue that the knee itself is not part of the male awrah, but the majority agrees that the knee is part of the awrah and should be covered.
Muslim men wearing shorts in public
When you go out in public as a Muslim man, whether there are females present or not, be sure to cover your navel to your knees. This means you may wear shorts that are long enough to cover your knees. Here are shorts I found on Amazon as a reference.
Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Sa’eed (Al-Khudri)’s father narrated:
“The messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “A man is not to look at the awrah of a man, and a woman is not to look at the awrah of a woman. A man is not to be alone with a man under one garment, and a woman is not to be alone with a woman under one garment.”
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2793
Muslim men wearing shorts at home
As a Muslim man, you may wear shorts of any length at home, provided you are certain nobody else will see you in them. The male awrah is often misunderstood to be only hidden from females, but we should cover the awrah from other males as well.
It is also preferred to cover your private parts even if you are absolutely certain that nobody will see you.
Can Muslim Women Wear Shorts?
You may not wear shorts as a Muslim woman, as it doesn’t cover your awrah. The awrah for adult Muslim females is the entire body except for the face, hands, and feet.
There are some hijab tracksuit options (link to Amazon) if you want to do some outdoor or sporty activities.
Just make sure you don’t wear something that is tight-fitting because the majority of scholars advise that a woman’s figure is part of the awrah, and tight-fitting clothing will expose your figure to the public.
Abullah narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“The woman is awrah, so when she goes out, the Shaitan (Devil) seeks to tempt her.”
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1173
Muslim women wearing shorts at home
As a Muslim woman, you may wear shorts of any length at home provided that you are certain nobody will see you in them.
Your awrah in front of mahrams is your stomach, back, navel, and knees. So wearing a t-shirt and long enough shorts in front of your mahrams is permissible according to the majority of scholars.
If you are married, you don’t have an awrah in front of your husband so you don’t need to worry about covering up, according to the majority of scholars. Some scholars advise that you still practice some modesty even in front of your husband (e.g. don’t walk around the house in the nude).
Does Wearing Shorts Break Wudu?
It is permissible for Muslims (men and women) to take wudu while wearing shorts of any length, provided that nobody else will see you in them. Technically, when we take a ghusl we are mostly nude, and our wudu is valid. So taking wudu in a shorts is also valid.
However, no one else may see you in your shorts after you’ve completed wudhu – except your spouse or a mahram.
And Allah knows best.