Is wrestling is Sunnah?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Yes, wrestling is Sunnah. We have a few narrations establishing the fact that the blessed Prophet ﷺ wrestled a man called Rukanah and defeated him. The narrations have weakness in them but collectively they do establish this fact. However, the narrations do not specify a particular form of wrestling. Therefore, Muslims must refrain from doing so.

Explanation

عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رُكَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رُكَانَةَ صَارَعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَرَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ رُكَانَةُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ فَرْقَ مَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ المُشْرِكِينَ العَمَائِمُ عَلَى القَلَانِسِ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَإِسْنَادُهُ لَيْسَ بِالقَائِمِ، وَلَا نَعْرِفُ أَبَا الحَسَنِ العَسْقَلَانِيَّ، وَلَا ابْنَ رُكَانَةَ

Abu Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Rukanah narrated from his father that Rukanah wrestled the Prophet ﷺ and the Prophet ﷺ defeated him. Rukanah said, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: Indeed, the difference between us and the idolaters is the turban over the hat. This is a Gharib Hadith. Its chain is not established. We do not know Abu al-Hasan al-Asqalani, nor Ibn Rukanah. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1784, weak).

 

The above narration confirms that wrestling is Sunnah. However, it has weakness in the chain. Therefore, it does not establish a fact. Rather it would be considered speculative. But we do have other narrations that mention the fact that the blessed Prophet wrestled. Those narrations strengthen this one.

Thus, when we consider all relevant narrations, we can establish that the blessed Prophet ﷺ wrestled Rukanah bin Yazid and defeated him. And we can confirm that wrestling is Sunnah.

As for the specific type of wrestling, it is not detailed in the narrations. So, we must refrain from claiming that this or that form of wrestling is Sunnah. Rather we leave it unspecified.

A more detailed narration

The narration in Maraseel Abi Dawood is much more detailed. And it has a stronger chain too. However, it is Mursal. Meaning the Sahaabi that Sayidina Saeed bin Jubayr took from is not mentioned. This Hadith further strengthens the notion that wrestling is Sunnah.

عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى الله عَليهِ وسَلم كَانَ بِالبَطْحَاءِ فَأَتَى عَلَيْهِ يَزِيدُ بْنُ رُكَانَةَ أَوْ رُكَانَةُ بن يزيد وَمَعَهُ أَعْنُزٍ لَهُ، فَقَالَ: لَهُ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ تُصَارِعَنِي؟، قَالَ: مَا تَسْبِقُنِي، قَالَ: شَاةٌ مِنْ غَنَمِي، فَصَارَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلى الله عَليهِ وسَلم فَصَرَعَهُ فَأَخَذَ شَاةً، قَالَ رُكَانَةُ: هَلْ لَكَ فِي العَوْدَةِ؟، فقَالَ: مَا تَسْبِقُنِي، قَالَ: أُخْرَى، فَصَارَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلى الله عَليهِ وسَلم فَصَرَعَهُ، فَقَالَ: لَهُ مِثْلَ ما قَالَ: قال: مَا تَسْبِقُنِي، قَالَ: أُخْرَى، فَصَارَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلى الله عَليهِ وسَلم فَصَرَعَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ وَاللهِ مَا وَضَعَ جَنْبِي أَحَدٌ إِلَى الأَرْضِ، وَمَا أَنْتَ بالَّذِي تصَرَعنِي، فَأَسْلَمَ وَردَ عليه رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى الله عَليهِ وسَلم غنمه.

Saeed bin Jubayr narrated: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in al-Batha’ when Yazid bin Rukanah, or Rukanah bin Yazid, came to him with his goats. He said to him: O Muhammad, would you like to wrestle me? He ﷺ said: What will you reward me? He said: A sheep from my flock. The Prophet ﷺ wrestled and defeated him. So took a sheep. Rukanah said: Will you repeat?

He ﷺ said: What will you reward me? He said: Another. The Prophet ﷺ wrestled and defeated him. So, he said to him the same as before. He ﷺ said: What will you reward me? He said: Another. The Prophet ﷺ wrestled and defeated him. He said: O Muhammad, by Allah, no one has put my side to the ground. And you are not the one to defeat me. So became Muslim and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned his sheep to him. (Maraseel Abi Dawud, 299).

Authenticity

Since the above narration is Mursal. It falls into the well-known difference of opinion. Some scholars considered it to be weak. Others, like the Hanafis, considered it sound if the remainer of the chain is sound. Imam al-Bayhaqi mentioned that the remainder of the chain is good. And Imam Ibn Hajr said it is Sahih up to Sa`id ibn Jubayr.

وَهُوَ مُرْسَلٌ جَيِّدٌ، وَقَدْ رُوِيَ بِإِسْنَادٍ آخَرَ مَوْصُولًا , إِلَّا أَنَّهُ ضَعِيفٌ. وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ. (السنن الكبرى)

It is a good Mursal Hadith. It has been narrated with another connected chain of transmission, but that is weak. And Allah knows best. (Imam Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi 458H, al-Sunnan al-Kubra).

إسْنَادُهُ صَحِيحٌ إلَى سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، إلَّا أَنَّ سَعِيدًا لَمْ يُدْرِكْ رُكَانَةَ. (التلخيص الحبير)

Its chain of transmission is Sahih, going back to Sa`id ibn Jubayr, except that Sa`id did not meet Rukanah. (Imam Ahmad bin Ali Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Fath al-Bari).

 

Legal concern

It seems evident that wrestling is Sunnah. However, the above Hadith does raise a legal concern. The blessed Prophet ﷺ was given a sheep after every victory. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah differed regarding the permissibility of such rewards. The Hanafis used this narration as proof for their position of permissibility.

 

وهذا يدل على جواز المصارعة وأخذ العوض عنها. (التجريد)

This is evidence for the permissibility of wrestling and taking a reward for it. (Abu al-Hussain al-Quduri 428H, al-Tajreed).

وَهَذَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى جَوَازِ مِثْلِهِ فِي دَارِ الْحَرْبِ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِ وَالْحَرْبِيِّ. (المبسوط)

This is evidence of the permissibility of such a thing in the land of war between a Muslim and a combatant. (Imam Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Sarakhsi 483H, al-Mabsoot).

In the above texts (Nusoos), Imam al-Quduri clearly presented the Hanafi position of it being permissible to take a reward for victory in a wrestling match. However, Imam al-Sarakhsi took it in another direction. He used the narration as proof for accepting payment in Dar al-Harb for something that may not be permitted in other circumstances.

Conclusion

When we look at all the relevant narrations, we can affirm that wrestling is Sunnah. Even if the individual narrations have concerns with their chains, they do strengthen one another. Please do study the science of Hadith for a more detailed understanding.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (24.03.25)