Chapter on Entering the Bathhouse, Its Etiquettes, and Recommended Practices

Ahmad bin Abi Abdullah Al-Barqi, from Al-Qasim bin Yahya, from his grandfather Al-Hasan bin Rashid, from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, from his father, from his forefathers, from Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "When any one of you is unclothed, Satan looks at him and desires him. So, cover yourselves."

Muhammad bin Ali bin Mahbub, from Ali bin Al-Rayyan bin Al-Salt, from Al-Hasan bin Rashid, from one of his companions, from Misma’, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, from Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام said: Imam عليه السلام said: "He (Imam Ali عليه السلام) forbade a man from entering water except with a waist wrap."

From him, from Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Al-Nu’man, from Ali bin Al-Husayn bin Al-Hasan Al-Darir, from Hammad bin Isa, from Imam Ja’far Al Sadiq عليه السلام, from his father Imam Al Baqir عليه السلام, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, who said: It was said to Him (Imam Ali عليه السلام) that Sa’id bin Abdul-Malik enters the bathhouse with his female servants. Imam Ali عليه السلام said: "What harm is there if he and they wear waist wraps? They should not be naked like donkeys, looking at each other’s private parts."

From him, from Muhammad bin Isa and Al-Abbas, both from Sa'dan bin Muslim, who said: I was in the bathhouse in the middle room when Abu Al-Hasan عليه السلام entered. Imam عليه السلام had depilatory paste on him and was wearing a waist wrap over the paste. Imam عليه السلام said: "Peace be upon you." I replied to Imams عليه السلام greeting and quickly moved to the room with the pool. I performed ghusl and then left.

From him, from Ali bin Al-Sindi, from Hammad, from Shu’ayb, from Abu Basir, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: “Can a man perform ghusl in an open space?” Imam عليه السلام said: "If no one can see him, then there is no harm."

From him, from Al-Abbas, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "A man should not look at the private parts of his brother."

From him, from Al-Abbas, from Ali bin Isma'il, from Muhammad bin Hakim Al-Mithami, I do not know except that he said: I saw Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, or someone who saw Imam عليه السلام, uncovered with a cloth over his private parts. Imam عليه السلام said: "The thigh is not part of the private parts."

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Abu Yahya Al-Wasiti, from a of his companions, from Abu Al-Hasan Al-Madi عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "The private parts are two - the front and the back. The back is covered by the buttocks, so if you cover the penis and the testicles, you have covered the private parts."

From him, from Al-Barqi, from Ibn Sinan, from Hudhayfah bin Mansur, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: “There is something people say – ‘The private matters of a believer are forbidden for another believer.’” Imam عليه السلام said: "It is not as they think. What is meant by the private matters of a believer is that he may slip up or say something that he could be criticized for, and it should be kept confidential so that he is not shamed with it one day."

Muhammad bin Ali bin Mahbub, from Muhammad bin Isa, from Al-Hasan bin Ali, from Abdullah bin Sinan, who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about the statement: "The private matters of a believer are forbidden for another believer." Imam عليه السلام said: "Yes." I said: “I mean his lower body.” Imam عليه السلام said: "It is not as you think; rather, it refers to revealing his secrets."

From him, from Muhammad bin Isa, from Muhammad bin Sinan, from Al-Husayn bin Al-Mukhtar, from Zayd Al-Shahham, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: Imam عليه السلام said: regarding the statement, "The private matters of a believer are forbidden for another believer." Imam عليه السلام said: "It does not mean that one uncovers and sees something from him; rather, it means to disgrace him or find fault with him."

Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Yaqtin, from his brother al-Husayn, from their father Ali ibn Yaqtin, from Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام: He said: "I asked Imam عليه السلام about a man reciting (Quran) in the bathhouse and engaging in marital relations there?" Imam عليه السلام replied: "There is no harm in it."

Ali ibn Mahziyar narrated from Amr ibn Ibrahim, from Khalaf ibn Hammad, from Harun ibn Hukaym al-Arqat, the maternal uncle of Abu Abdillah عليه السلام: He said: "I came to Imam عليه السلام with a need and found Imam عليه السلام in the bathhouse applying a depilatory (paste). I mentioned my need to Imam عليه السلام, and he said, 'Will you not apply it (nuura)?' I said: 'I just applied it the day before yesterday.' Imam عليه السلام said: 'Apply it, for the depilatory paste is a means of purification.'"

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from one of our companions, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "The Sunnah regarding the use of depilatory paste is every fifteen days. But if twenty days pass and you have nothing, then borrow for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (and apply it)."

Muhammad bin Ali bin Mahbub, from Ya'qub bin Yazid, from Al-Hajjal, from Aban, who said: Abu Abdullah عليه السلام said: "Remove hair from yourselves, for it enhances beauty."

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Al-Barqi, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham bin Al-Hakam and Hafs, who said: Abu Abdullah عليه السلام used to apply depilatory paste to his armpits in the bathhouse.

Muhammad bin Ali bin Mahbub, from Abu Ishaq Al-Nahawandi, from Abu Abdullah Al-Barqi, from Uthman bin Isa, from Ishaq bin Abdul-Aziz, from a man who mentioned it, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: I said to Imam عليه السلام: “We are on the way to Mecca intending to enter ihram, but we do not have bran to scrub ourselves with after using depilatory paste, so we use flour instead. This causes me to feel uneasy, as Allah سبحانه وتعالى knows.” Imam عليه السلام said: "Is it because you fear extravagance with it?" I said: “Yes.” Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no extravagance in what improves the body. I sometimes order fine flour, kneaded with oil, to scrub myself with it. Extravagance is only in what wastes wealth and harms the body."

From him, from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, from Abu Ahmad Ishaq bin Isma'il, from Al-Abbas bin Abi Al-Abbas, from Ubdus bin Ibrahim, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "Henna removes unpleasant odor, increases the moisture of the face, improves breath, and enhances the beauty of offspring." Imam عليه السلام also said: "Whoever applies depilatory paste in the bathhouse and scrubs himself with henna from his head to his feet will be protected from poverty." Imam عليه السلام further said: "I saw Abu Ja'far Al-Thani عليه السلام coming out of the bathhouse, and Imam عليه السلام was like a rose from his head to his feet due to the effect of henna."

From him, from Mu'awiyah bin Hakim, from Sulayman bin Ja'far Al-Ja'fari, who said: I became ill until I lost my flesh (body mass), so I visited Imam Al-Ridha عليه السلام. Imam عليه السلام said: "Would you like your flesh to return?" I said: “Yes.” Imam عليه السلام said: 'Make it a habit to visit the bathhouse (hammam) every other day (ghibban), and your flesh will return to you. But be careful not to frequent it excessively, for excessive use causes tuberculosis (sill).'"

From him, from Ayyub bin Nuh, from Abbas bin Amir, from Rabi' bin Muhammad, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah عليه السلام mention the bathhouse and say: "Beware of using clay tiles (to bath), for they damage the body. Use cloth instead."

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Aslam, the servant of Ali bin Yaqtin, who said: I intended to write to Abu Al-Hasan عليه السلام to ask Imam عليه السلام whether a man can use depilatory paste while in a state of janabah. Imam عليه السلام wrote to me first, saying: "Depilatory paste (Nuura) increases the cleanliness of a person in janabah, but a man should not have intercourse while his hair is dyed, nor should a woman have intercourse while she is dyed.'"

Muhammad bin Ali bin Mahbub, from Al-Hasan bin Ali, from Abdullah bin Al-Mughirah, from Ubayis bin Hisham, from Karram, from Abu Basir, who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about reciting (the Quran) in the bathhouse. Imam عليه السلام said: "If you are wearing a waist wrap, then recite the Quran if you wish - all of it."

From him, from Muhammad bin Al-Husayn, from Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Zurarah, from Isa bin Abdullah Al-Hashimi, from his grandfather, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: Imam Ali عليه السلام entered the bathhouse along with Umar (second occupier). Umar said: "What a bad place the bathhouse is - discomfort is abundant in it, and modesty is scarce." (Imam) Ali عليه السلام said (in rebuke): "What a good place the bathhouse is - it removes filth and reminds one of the Fire."

And from Imam عليه السلام, who said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family) passed by a place at Al-Mabadi’ and said: ‘What a good place the bathhouse is.’"

Al-Husayn bin Sa’eed, from Safwan bin Yahya, from Mansur bin Hazim, from Bakr bin Habib: Abu Ja’far عليه السلام said: "The water of the bathhouse is permissible if it has a source of supply."

Ali bin Mahziyar, from Muhammad bin Isma'il, who said: I heard a man say to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: "I enter the bathhouse at dawn, and there are people in a state of janabah and others present. I perform ghusl, but after I finish, some of their water splashes onto me." Imam عليه السلام said: "Is it not flowing water?" I said: "Yes." Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm."

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Najran, from Dawood bin Sirhan, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: “What do you say about the water of the bathhouse?” Imam عليه السلام said: "It is like flowing water."

From him, from Abu Yahya Al-Wasiti, from one of his companions, from Abu Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi, who said: Imam عليه السلام was asked about men standing by the pool in the bathhouse, where it is not possible to distinguish a Jew from a Christian, or someone in a state of janabah from someone not in janabah. Imam عليه السلام said: "You may perform ghusl from it and do not need to use other water, for it is pure." And Imam عليه السلام said regarding a man who enters the bathhouse in a state of janabah and touches the water without washing himself first. Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm." And Imam عليه السلام was asked: "I enter the bathhouse and perform ghusl, but afterward my body is touched by someone in janabah or someone not in janabah." Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm."

Al-Husayn bin Sa’eed, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Abu Ayyub, from Muhammad bin Muslim, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: “In the bathhouse, people in a state of janabah and others perform ghusl. Can I perform ghusl using its water?” Imam عليه السلام said: "Yes, there is no harm in a person in janabah performing ghusl with it. Indeed, I have performed ghusl in it, and then I came and washed my feet - not because of impurity, but only because of the dirt that stuck to them."

From him, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Fadalah, from Jamil bin Darraj, from Muhammad bin Muslim, who said: I saw Abu Ja’far عليه السلام coming from the bathhouse, and there was filth between it and his house. Imam عليه السلام said: "If it were not for what is between me and my house, I would not have washed my feet or removed the water of the bathhouse."

From him, from Safwan, from Ibn Bukayr, from Zurarah, who said: I (Zurarah) saw Abu Ja'far عليه السلام coming out of the bathhouse, and he proceeded as he was without washing his feet until he performed prayer.

As for what was narrated by Al-Husayn bin Sa’eed, from Safwan, from Al-Ala’, from Muhammad bin Muslim, from one of the Imams عليه السلام, who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about the water of the bathhouse. Imam عليه السلام said: "Enter it with a waist wrap, and do not use another water for ghusl unless there is someone in a state of janabah in it or if there are too many people, so you do not know whether there is someone in janabah among them or not."

Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Abu Yahya Al-Wasiti, from one of our companions, from Abu Al-Hasan Al-Madi عليه السلام: Imam عليه السلام was asked about collected water in the bathhouse from people’s washings that comes into contact with clothing. Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm."

Ali bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Al-Hasan bin Abi Al-Husayn Al-Farisi, from Sulayman bin Ja'far, from Isma'il bin Abi Ziyad, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family) said: "Do not perform wudu with water heated by the sun, nor use it for ghusl, nor knead dough with it, for it causes leprosy."