There is an old lady who is over eighty and she is physically weak with poor eyesight. She lives with a servant and her husband has died. Is it permissible for her servant to shave her pubic hair for her?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for her servant to shave her pubic
hair for her, because there is a need for that. This was stated by the
fuqaha’ (may Allaah have mercy on them).
Al-Mardaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Insaaf (8/22):
If a person is serving a
sick man or woman by helping them to do wudoo’ or istinja’ (washing the
private part after relieving oneself) etc, the ruling is the same as that on
a doctor with regard to looking and touching. This was stated by Imam Ahmad
(may Allaah have mercy on him). The same applies if (the servant) shaves the
pubic hair for one who is unable to do that. This was stated by Imam Ahmad
and by Abu’l-Wafa’ and Abu Ya’la the younger. End quote.
And it says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (5/13):
A doctor may look at and
touch whatever he needs to look at and touch, even a woman’s private part
and the inside of it, because this is a case of necessity… But that should
be in the presence of a mahram or husband, because when two people are alone
together (khulwah) there is always the risk of something wrong happening.
And anything other than the part that needs to be examined should be
covered, because the basic principle that it is forbidden remains in
effect.
The same applies to the one who is serving a sick man or
woman by helping them to do wudoo’ or istinja’ (washing the private part
after relieving oneself) etc, or who is saving someone who is drowning or
trapped in a burning building and so on, or by shaving the pubic hairs of
one who is not able to do that. End quote.
For a male doctor
to treat a female patient is subject to certain conditions, e.g. if there is
no female doctor available, even if she is a non-Muslim.
See the answer to
question no. 5693.
