What is the ruling on using exercise equipment or swimming with young men who do not cover their thighs, and is there another opinion besides that of the majority of scholars that permits this, especially with the prevalence of these practices and the difficulty of avoiding them?

We mentioned in a previous fatwa that the majority opinion is that the thigh is 'awrah (private parts), but the issue is not a matter of scholarly consensus. Some have disagreed, holding that the 'awrah consists only of the two private parts (front and back), and this is a narration from Imam Ahmad, and the view of Ibn Abi Dhi'b and Dawud. The ruling on playing with those who do not cover their thighs is based on this; according to the majority opinion, it is not permissible due to the resulting looking at the 'awrah, while according to the other opinion, it is permissible.