The ruling on a Muslim woman who wants to change her clothes in the house of her Muslim sister.
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The questioner : A question related to the topic of women: If a woman visits her Muslim sister and wants to change her clothes, is it permissible for her to change in her sister's house?
The Shaykh : If the intention is to change the undergarments, the answer was understood previously: it is not permissible. These undergarments—she would be naked!
The questioner : It is the same for a woman; she enters a place in someone's house, takes off these clean clothes, and puts on house clothes.
The Shaykh : But isn't the place the same house that is foreign to her?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is never permissible. This is the meaning of the previous hadith:Sunan Ibn Majah 3750Hasan (Darussalam). This house is not her father's house nor her husband's house; so it is not permissible for her to be naked, and it is not permissible for her to bathe. Some women, out of friendship and affection, come from their house to their friend's house, enter the bathroom, take off their clothes, bathe and perform ghusl, and see no harm in it! This is contrary to this authentic hadith. So it is not permissible for a woman to be naked in this manner, fearing she might be surprised by something unexpected, and fearing that some people might break in. The issue of break-ins and kidnappings—we live close to such events today—so something like this could happen if some people know about such seclusion. Therefore, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 39:100. Which bathhouse? The house bathhouse or the market bathhouse? In the past and until today, in the Levant, these bathhouses exist: a large building with cold and hot water, and the women have a special day or more than one day, when they enter and bathe and are completely naked. This is what the Messenger (peace be upon him) forbade in that hadith: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2801Hasan (Darussalam), meaning the market bathhouse. And like the market bathhouse is any bathhouse other than her own house. The important point is that it is not permissible for her to be naked in any place other than her own house, unless there are mahrams present; this, as you heard from the same hadith, is permissible.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : If the intention is to change the undergarments, the answer was understood previously: it is not permissible. These undergarments—she would be naked!
The questioner : It is the same for a woman; she enters a place in someone's house, takes off these clean clothes, and puts on house clothes.
The Shaykh : But isn't the place the same house that is foreign to her?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is never permissible. This is the meaning of the previous hadith:
anywhere but in her husband's house
في غير بيت زوجها أو أبيهاWhoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not enter the bathhouse except with a waistcloth, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not take his wife to the bathhouse
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ؛ فلا يدخل الحمام إلا بمئزر ، ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ؛ فلا يُدخل حليلته الحمَّامWhoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then he is not to let his wife enter the Hammam
ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ؛ فلا يُدخل حليلتَه - أي زوجته - الحمامThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.