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Fatwa CenterWoman assisting elderly men take showers
Question
I am a woman working in a home for the elderly; at my work I must also help old men in the shower because they are not physically able to wash themselves. (But mentally they are healthy). I want to ask if this allowed in the Islam.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
As a rule, it is Haram to look at or touch the 'Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered in Islam) except of one's spouse. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Keep (and guard) your 'Awrah except from your wife”. [Ahmad, Ibn Maajah, Abu Dawood, At-Tirmithi and others].
Thus, a work that necessitates touching or looking at one’s 'Awrah is Haram. Furthermore, if a man dies and there are only alien women with him (i.e. there are no males), a Tayammum not washing should be performed on him, although it is an obligation to wash the dead.
For sure, it is more proper to state that it is not permissible for an alien woman to touch a man even for the purpose of cleaning him.
Allah knows best.
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