Is Cycling for Girls in Places Like Parks Prohibited? Below, you will find the opinions of religious authorities and scholars regarding women’s cycling.
Can Women Ride Bicycles in Public While Dressed Appropriately?
Summary Answer:
Cycling for girls and young women in public spaces and in the presence of non-mahram men is not permissible if, according to societal norms, it attracts undue attention or is deemed contrary to modesty. However, cycling in women-only environments is not problematic.
Although initiatives encouraging the public to reduce reliance on private vehicles, walk more, and cycle—thus lowering traffic and pollution in major cities—have clear environmental benefits, overlooking the cultural implications of such initiatives can cause significant harm to public morality and social norms.
Women’s cycling in streets and public spaces is one of those issues. While its increasing visibility may be partly due to urban planning efforts to alleviate traffic, it also presents cultural and religious challenges. Women’s public cycling is not merely a social or sporting issue; in some contexts, it may conflict with widely accepted Islamic cultural values.
Urban planners and decision-makers must consider these cultural aspects when creating such initiatives and ensure they align with Islamic principles. They should not prioritize air quality at the expense of the Islamic identity and culture of cities like Isfahan.
Though this topic can be analyzed from various angles, public discourse—particularly on social media—has increasingly focused on the Islamic perspective and the fatwas of religious authorities. Some circulated statements claim that the Supreme Leader has declared, “Women’s cycling is religiously and legally permissible,” though this appears to be a selective excerpt from his broader fatwa on the issue.
Below are the views of prominent Shia scholars:
Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may he live long):
Cycling for girls and women in public gatherings and in the presence of non-mahram men is a source of attraction and can lead to temptation and societal corruption, and contradicts modesty. It should be avoided. However, if it is done out of sight of non-mahram men, it is not inherently problematic.
Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi (may he live long):
Such activities are permissible in women-only environments, provided they do not result in harm.
Grand Ayatollah Sistani (may he live long):
If it is typically arousing or provocative, it is not permissible.
Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani (may he live long):
In such situations, it is advised to refrain for safety and religious precaution.
Q: Please state your opinion on women’s sports such as cycling, horse riding, rowing, and athletics in public places. Also, what is the ruling on watching such events on TV?
A: Conducting such activities in public in the name of sport, where women’s bodies are displayed to non-mahram men, contradicts chastity, modesty, and Islamic teachings. These promote immorality and corruption and are therefore forbidden. Watching or encouraging these is also haram. May God protect the Islamic society from threats that endanger our identity and religious integrity.
Q: Why can’t women ride bicycles or horses?
A: Any act that stimulates non-marital lust or leads to corruption is haram. Not every matter requires a specific hadith; many rulings fall under general Islamic principles.
Q: Does Islam prohibit women from sports like cycling?
A: Islam neither allows such activities unconditionally nor prohibits them entirely. Sports must be pursued for health and wellness in morally appropriate environments. Events that are provocative or encourage immodesty must be avoided. Organizers must be committed and understand the psychological implications. Promoting women’s sports without religious boundaries risks moral decline.
Women’s sports may be permissible at home or in schools if free from temptation and non-mahram gaze. However, public competitions that defy modesty are inappropriate and often imported from Western culture. Some who promote such activities do so with hidden agendas to erode Islamic values like hijab and female chastity.
Even for men, many of these competitive displays are mere entertainment, not valuable endeavors. Men and women must be cautious of traps disguised as progressive reforms.
Ayatollah Subhani Tabrizi:
“These activities can pave the way for spreading sin in society. They should be avoided.”
Ayatollah Bahjat:
“Anything that can lead to corruption is haram.”
Is women’s cycling illegal?
There is no law that explicitly makes riding bicycles or motorcycles by women a crime.
Is cycling or motorcycling haram for women?
Opinions vary among scholars, but the general consensus is that anything that leads to corruption is forbidden.
