Massage and its Regulations in Islamic Jurisprudence between Persons of the Opposite Sex and within Marriage

Abstract

The study clarifies the concept of massage, its synonyms and regulations according to the scholars of language, sharīʿah and medicine, and identifies the evidences for its lawfulness, its legal objectives and its jurisprudential rulings within marriage. Building upon previous research, relying on books of language, jurisprudence, exegesis, and medicine, and using the inductive and analytical approach, it has been concluded that: massage has convergent linguistic, terminological and medical meanings; it has health benefits and is lawful overall; the question at issue is its permissibility and prohibition within marriage and amongst maḥrams and non-maḥrams; it is permissible amongst maḥrams as an act of kindness and for treatment, assuring there is no desire. This study’s scholarly significance appears in establishing the principle of sharīʿah preserving the structure of communities. It elucidated the rulings on massage, established legal, customary, and health regulations for obtaining licenses to open massage centers, and encouraged on-site inspections.