Women Getting Massages and Exposing The Awrah

3-1-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

In the state of Kerala, there is a practice of women getting post-delivery massages from a qualified woman for around 40 days, around the abdomen and also for the whole body. The awrah is of course uncovered and the one being massaged is dressed very less. I too had these massages after delivery and then again for a few days at a time when I was facing a bad skin problem and went in for some natural treatments such as Ayurveda

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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.

A woman is not permitted to give another woman a massage that necessitates uncovering the 'Awrah, because it is forbidden to unveil the 'Awrah without a necessity or need, such as treating an illness, and while there is no other way that is free from the prohibition, to treat the illness.

The Muslim woman's ‘Awrah with another Muslim woman is between the navel to the knee; this is the same thing in regard to her ‘Awrah in front of a non-Muslim woman according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 109808 and 85824.

Allah knows best.