Fatwa n° 216

Category: Fatwas about family – The woman

The ruling concerning the woman
taking a bath at her relatives home

Question:

Is it permissible for a woman to take a shower or a ritual bath at her relatives home like her paternal or maternal uncle? May Allah reward you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:

The underlying reason for prohibiting a woman from getting undressed beyond her house is to protect and cover her private parts and in order to be safe from Fitnah (temptation). Hereof, whenever the woman could not take a bath at her home or at her husband’s home, it is permissible for her to take it in the house of one of her Mahram ⁽¹⁾ or at her (paternal or maternal) aunts home if there is no fear of temptation, according to the hadith reported by Um Ad-Dardâ’ رضي الله عنها who said: “I came out from the public bath when I met the Prophet صلّى اللهُ عليه وآله وسَلَّم. He inquired: “From where (did you come) Ô Um Ad-Dardâ’”. She answered: “From the public bath”. He  صلّى اللهُ عليه وآله وسَلَّم said: “By Whom my soul is in His Hands, no woman takes off her garments in a house other than that of one of her mothers, but she tears the cover between her and Ar-Rahmân (the Most Merciful)”⁽²⁾. And because- without any doubt- it is permissible for the woman to travel with one of her Mahram and during travel she cannot perform her obligations as prayers and the like only with taking a bath in case she has a wet dream or gets purified after her menses, for she is safe with the presence of her Mahram as it is known.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.