Taking Shower or Bath

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘The bathhouse is a very good house; it reminds of fire and banishes dirt.’ ‘Umar has said, ‘A bathhouse is the worst house; it exposes private parts and violates secrets.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘People have ascribed the words of ’Amir al-Mu’minin to ‘Umar and vice versa.’”

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘Taking a bath one day and the day after does not increase flesh. Continuously taking a bath every day melts the fat of the kidneys.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If one believes in Allah and in the life hereafter, he must not enter a bathhouse without a loincloth.’”

“Once I became ill until I lost all of my flesh. I visited al-Rida’ (a.s.), who asked, ‘Will you like to see your flesh come back?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I like to see my flesh come back.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must continue taking a bath one day and on the day after the next day, your flesh will come back. You must not take a bath every day because it causes tuberculosis.’” (Perhaps if it is a public bathhouse)

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Do not enter a bathhouse until there is something in your belly to calm down the excitement of your stomach and it is more energizing for the body. Do not enter it with your stomach full of food.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when about to take a bath would eat something. I once asked, ‘People around us say that before eating anything is the best time for taking a bath.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, one must eat something before taking bath; it banished bitterness (acidity) and calms down the temperature in the belly.’”

“I once in al-Madinah entered a bathhouse and an old man was the manager of the bathhouse. I asked, ‘O Shaykh to whom does this bathhouse belong?’ He replied, ‘It belongs to abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam.’ I then asked, ‘Did he use it?’ He replied, ‘Yes, he did.’ I then asked, ’How would he use it?’ He said, ’First he applied lime to his pubic region and the surrounding area and to his urethra then he would call me to apply to the other parts of his body.’ I then asked, ‘Did you ever see what you do not like to see ? 5 He replied, ‘It never happened because lime is a cover.”’

“My father, grandfather, uncle and I once entered a bathhouse in al-Madinah and there was a man in the room for undressing. He asked, ‘From where are you people ?’ We replied, ‘We are from Iraq.’ He then asked, ‘From which part of Iraq are you?’ We replied that we are from al-Kufah.’ He said, ‘Welcome, O people of al-Kufah, but you wear only one layer of clothes and why do you not have loincloths? The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “Private parts of believing people are unlawful for the believing people.’” He then sent a piece of cotton fabric for my father and made it in four parts. Then each one of us took one piece. When we were in the hot room, he turned to my grandfather and said, ‘Old man, what prevents you from using dyes?’ My grandfather said, ‘I lived with one who was better than me and you, and who did not use dyes.’ He became angry so much so that we noticed it in the bathhouse. He asked, ‘Who is that person better than you and me?’ He replied, ‘I lived with Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.), and he did not use dyes.’ He looked down and perspired. He said, ‘You have spoken the truth and proved your point.’ ‘O old man, if the Messenger of Allah used dyes, you should also use dyes because he is better than Ali ibn abu Talib, but if you will not use it you have followed the Sunnah of Ali ibn abu Talib.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘When we left the bathhouse we asked about the man and found out that he was Ali ibn al-Husayn, along with his son, Muhammad ibn Ali, ‘Alayhim al-Salam.’”

“I once entered a bathhouse with abu Basir and saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who had applied (lime) and on his underarms. I then informed abu Basir and he asked me to lead him so he can ask him about it. I said, ‘I saw him.’ He said, ‘You saw him (the Imam) but I cannot see him (the Imam)? Lead me to where he is.’ I then led him and he said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, my lead has said that you have applied lime and on your underarms.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, O abu Muhammad, pulling up hairs of underarms weakens eyesight, so you must apply lime, O abu Muhammad.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I applied since that time and he (the Imam) said, ‘Apply; it is cleansing.’”

“I once entered in dark house where a group of banu Hashim were and I offered them greeting of peace with the phrase of offering greeting. A certain one among them said, ‘Offer greeting of peace to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), he is in the center.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I offered him (the Imam) greeting of peace and sat in front of him and said, “Since a long time I loved to visit you to ask about certain things.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘Ask whatever you like.’ I then asked, ‘What do you say about using a bathhouse?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not enter a bathhouse without a loincloth, keep your eyes cast down, do not wash with used water because fornicators take a bath with it as well as those bom out of wedlock, and enemies of Ah/ al-Bayt, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, who are the worst of them. 5 ”

foifowing: “He (the Imam) has said, ‘If one wants to gain weight he should use a bathhouse one day and the day after the next day but if one is heavy and wants to lose weight he should use a bathhouse every day.”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who applies lime, then mixes flour with oil then rubs it on him after lime to remove its smell. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“I once saw abu al-Hassan (a.s.), rubbing with flour mixed with oil and I said that people dislike it. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about rubbing with flour after lime. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’ I then said, ‘They think it is misuse of flour.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Use of things for the benefit of body is not a misuse. I sometimes ask for bleached flour mixed with oil and rub. Misuse is when one’s belongings are destroyed and the body is harmed.’”

“About the case of a man who rubs his body with flour and oil after lime, abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Sometimes when on a journey we do not find bran; if we can rub with flour.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful. It is bad only when belongings are destroyed and the body is harmed. If body is benefited then it is not bad. I sometimes command my slave to prepare bleached flour with oil and I rub with it.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), came out of the bathhouse, dressed, wore his turban and said to me, ‘When you come out of bathhouse wear a turban.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I thereafter would always wear a turban after coming out of the bathhouse in winter and summer.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who applies lime and urinates standing. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful. 5 ”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must not lie down on your back in the bathhouse; it melts the fat of kidneys and must not rub your feet with pottery because it may cause leprosy.”’

May Allah make your bathing pure and clean.’ We then said, ‘We pray to Allah to keep our souls in service for your cause.’ We then went with him (the Imam). He (the Imam) entered the bathhouse and we waited until he came out, then we said, ‘May Allah make your bathing pure and clean.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘May Allah cleanse you.’”

“Once al-Hasan ibn Ali (a.s.) came out of the bathhouse and someone met him and said, ‘I wish you a fine bathing Istihmam.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Oh lowly one, why does the word ’Ist’ (meaning your seeking bath or the word’s other meaning which is ‘buttock’) need to be mentioned?’ He then said, ‘I wish you a good ‘Humaym’ . He (the Imam) said, ‘Did you not know that ‘Humaym’ means perspiration?’ He then said, ‘May your bathhouse be nice.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If you wish a nice bathhouse then what is for me in it? You should instead say, ‘I wish purity for what is nice of you and nicety of what is pure of you.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about using a bathhouse. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you want to take a bath?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I like to take a bath.’ He (the Imam) commanded to warm up the bathhouse. He then entered in it and wore a loincloth, which covered from his belly button down to his knees. Then he commanded the owner of the bathhouse to apply on him (lime or oil) on what was not covered by the loincloth. Then he (the Imam) asked him to move away. He (the Imam) then applied with his hand on the area under the loincloth and said, ‘This is how you must take a bath.’”

A man must not enter a bathhouse with his son to allow him look at his private parts.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not lean in a bathhouse; it melts the fat of kidneys. You must not comb in it; it thins out the hairs, do not wash your head with clay; it destroys self-esteem, do not rub (your feet) with pottery; it may cause leprosy and do not wipe your face with loincloths; it destroys the beauty of the face.’”

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Do not wash your head with the clay of Misr (Egypt); it destroys self-esteem and may cause one to become a pimp.’”

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Madiy (a.s.), has said, ‘Private parts are two: the front and back. The back is covered with the rump. If you cover the penis and testicles you have covered your private parts.’” In another Hadith it is said, ‘The back is covered with the rump. You can cover the front with your hand.’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Looking at the private parts of non-Muslims is like looking at the private parts of donkeys.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if a nude person during pouring water on him can look at his own private parts, or water can be poured on him or he can look at the private parts of others. He (the Imam) said, ‘My father disliked all of it on the part of everyone.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who believes in Allah and in the Day of Judgment must not allow his wife to go to a bathhouse.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who believes in Allah and in the Day of Judgment must not send his wife to a bathhouse.’”

“I once asked Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) ‘Can I read Quran in a bathhouse and have intercourse (in the bathhouse)?’ He (the Imam (a.s.)) replied, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“I once asked Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), if ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) prohibited reading al-Quran in a bathhouse. He (the Imam) said, ’No, however, he prohibited reading while nude but if one has a loincloth on him, then it is not harmful.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful if one reads al-Quran in a bathhouse if he does it for the sake of Allah, but not to find out how his voice is.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Do not lie down in a bathhouse; it melts the fat of the kidneys.’”

Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not enter the bathhouse except with a waistcloth." One day, he entered the bathhouse and applied lime paste. When the paste covered his body, he removed the waistcloth. His servant said to him, "May my father and mother be your ransom, you advise us to keep the waistcloth, but you have removed it yourself?" He replied, "Don't you know that the lime paste has covered the private parts?"

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A man must not enter a bathhouse with his son where he can look at his private parts.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Parents cannot look at the private parts of their children, and children cannot look at the private parts of their parents.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has condemned the looking and the one being looked at in a bathhouse when one is without a loincloth.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once entered a bathhouse and the owner of the bathhouse asked him (the Imam), ‘Must I vacate it for you?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘That is not necessary. A believing person (his needs) is lighter than that.’”

If one picks up a piece of pottery from a bathhouse and rubs himself with it, then becomes ill with leprosy he must not blame anyone except himself. One who washes with the used water of a bathhouse and becomes ill with leprosy, he also must not blame anyone else except himself.’ Muhammad ibn Ali has said, ‘I said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), that people of al-Madinah say, “There is cure (and protection) in it against the evil effect of the eyes.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘They have spoken a lie. In it people after unlawful sexual acts bathe and fornicators bathe. In it, the worst of all creatures that Allah has created, the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt, bathe and then they say that there is cure (and protection) in it against the evil effects of the eyes. Cure for the eyes because of such effect is in reading al-Hamd (Chapter one) and al-Ma‘udhatayn (chapters One Hundred Thirteen and One Hundred Fourteen), Ayatu al-Kursi (2:255) and burning incense of al-Qust, (a certain Indian or Arabian wood), al-Murr (gum of a certain tree) and al-Luban (frankincense).”’