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How to Stay Religious while Enjoying Summer in Islam

20 July, 2025
Q As-salamu `alaykum. I find it so difficult to strike a balance between my religious ordinances and the idea of enjoying summer, particularly at beaches. My family asks me for a summer vacation, but I don't know how to organize a summer vacation which is sin-free and enjoyable.

Answer

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti
20 July, 2025

Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

To maintain faith while enjoying summer in Islam, Muslims should balance their leisure with their religious duties. This includes scheduling activities around prayer times, choosing halal entertainment, dressing modestly despite the heat, and using free time for Qur’an, dhikr, or Islamic learning. The goal is to enjoy the season without compromising on Islamic values.

In his response to your question, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti, Professor of Political Ethics and Religions History at Qatar University, states:

You need to get in touch with some Islamic centers and youth organizations that usually have good programs that combine both fun and education at the same time. To give you some good suggestions, I could list the following:

  • If you can afford it, you may take your family for Umrah or a visit to a Muslim country to see the Islamic historic sites.
  • You may take your older children to study Arabic at some Islamic or Arab countries. There are plenty of Islamic centers that particularly work in that field.
  • You may take your family to enjoy the summer at other places such as mountains or any other place that is enjoyable. I do not recommend you to go to beaches in the summer.
  • You may arrange with some Muslim families or friends to go to the park and do some barbecue where children can have fun at the same time.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.