Jamiat KZNJamiatul Ulama KZN

Permissibility of massages

· 6 Rajab 1445 AH1 min readEnglish
*Islamic RulingsDressingFatwaFemale IssuesFiqhGeneral

Question

Kindly advise if it’s permissible for a female to get a back and legs massage by a non-Muslim female, and vice versa, for a male to get a massage by a non-Muslim male. This massage is not for any medical reasons.

Answer

A Muslim male is permitted to have a body massage done by a Muslim or non-Muslim male except for the area between his navel to his knees.

A Muslim male is not permitted to have a massage done by a female.

A Muslim female is permitted to have a body massage done by a Muslim female except for the area between her navel to her knees.

However, a Muslim female is not permitted to have a massage done by a non-Muslim female except for her hands, feet and face.

A Muslim female is not permitted to have a massage done by a male.

In the case of massage required for genuine medical reasons, the limitations of the Awrah/Satr will be relaxed to the extent of necessity. (Hindiyyah 5/327)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Answered by
Mufti Moosa Salie, Mufti Taahir Hansa
Ask Jamiat KZN

Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Jamiatul Ulama KZN. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.