Fatwa ID: 05448

Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Haroon Hussain

Question:

Am I allowed to have a man touch my back (bum area) for a massage if I have back issues?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

I cannot tell by your question whether you are a man or a woman, so I will give you a general answer.

Looking at and touching the private area

Anyone other than your spouse is not allowed to look at or touch the area from the navel to the knees except with a necessity [1]. If there is a necessity, they should do so without looking and with clothes on. Only if there is a necessity to see the area, will it be allowed to do so. The permission is only to the extent of necessity. So, if treatment can be done without looking at the area, then looking will not be permissible. However, if it cannot be done without looking, then looking will be permissible.

Order of preference for people giving treatment

If the massage is such that it can be given by anyone, then your spouse is the first port of call and this is completely permissible and preferred. Even if this entails giving them a bit of money for motivation, this is the best path.

If you are not married or the spouse is unable to give the massage, then a family member of your own gender is preferred above the opposite gender.

If the massage is such that it can only be given by a trained professional and it is a medical necessity, then one should look for someone of the same gender first.

If no one of the same gender is available, and it is a medical necessity, then using a trained professional of the opposite gender would be the last option[2]. If it is not a necessity, it is not permissible as it is prohibited to expose that area to anyone other than a spouse [3].

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammed Haroon Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] الضرورات تبيح المحظورات – ص43 – القوائد الفقهية – دار الترمذي

[2] ثُمَّ كَانَ الْمُنَاسِبُ فِي التَّعْبِيرِ ذِكْرَ مَسْأَلَةِ الْمَسِّ بَعْدَ مَسْأَلَةِ النَّظَرِ، بِأَنْ يَقُولَ: وَلَا يَجُوزُ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهِ (الوجه) بِشَهْوَةٍ كَمَسِّهِ وَإِنْ أَمِنَ الشَّهْوَةَ إلَخْ لِأَنَّ كُلًّا مِنْ النَّظَرِ وَالْمَسِّ مِمَّا يُمْنَعُ الرَّجُلُ عَنْهُ، وَالْكَلَامُ فِيمَا تُمْنَعُ هِيَ عَنْهُ (قَوْلُهُ لِأَنَّهُ أَغْلَظُ) أَيْ مِنْ النَّظَرِ وَهُوَ عِلَّةٌ لِمَنْعِ الْمَسِّ عِنْدَ أَمْنِ الشَّهْوَةِ أَيْ بِخِلَافِ النَّظَرِ فَإِنَّهُ عِنْدَ الْأَمْنِ لَا يُمْنَعُ)

ص110 – جلد 2 – كتاب الصلاة ، باب شروط الصلاة – رد المحتار – دار الحديث القاهرة

[3] قَوْلُهُ وَلَا يَجُوزُ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهِ بِشَهْوَةٍ أَيْ إلَّا لِحَاجَةٍ كَقَاضٍ أَوْ شَاهِدٍ بِحُكْمٍ أَوْ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهَا لَا لِتَحَمُّلِ الشَّهَادَةِ، وَكَخَاطِبٍ يُرِيدُ نِكَاحَهَا فَيَنْظُرُ وَلَوْ عَنْ شَهْوَةٍ بِنِيَّةِ السُّنَّةِ لَا قَضَاءِ الشَّهْوَةِ، وَكَذَا مُرِيدُ شِرَائِهَا أَوْ مُدَاوَاتِهَا إلَى مَوْضِعِ الْمَرَضِ بِقَدْرِ الضَّرُورَةِ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي فِي الْحَظْرِ، وَالتَّقْيِيدُ بِالشَّهْوَةِ يُفِيدُ جَوَازَهُ بِدُونِهَا، لَكِنْ سَيَأْتِي فِي الْحَظْرِ تَقْيِيدُهُ بِالضَّرُورَةِ وَظَاهِرُهُ الْكَرَاهَةُ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ دَاعِيَةٍ..

ص111 – جلد 2 – كتاب الصلاة ، باب شروط الصلاة – رد المحتار – دار الحديث القاهرة