Women Attending Swimming Pools and Saunas

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: 

We live in a residential neighbourhood where there is a women’s centre; at this centre there is a swimming pool for women and a sauna. What is the ruling on women going to this centre? 

He replied: 

My advice to my brothers is not to let their women go to swimming pools and sports clubs because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged women to stay at home. Moreover, if a woman becomes accustomed to that she will become very attached to it because she is subject to her emotions, and in that case she will become distracted from her religious or worldly duties and she will always be talking about these activities in gatherings.

And if the woman does such things that will be a cause of her losing sense of shame and modesty, and if a woman loses her sense of shame and modesty do not ask about the evil consequences except for the one whom Allah blesses by guiding her and enabling her to regain the modesty that was taken away from her. 

I will close my message by repeating my advice to my believing brothers not to let their daughters, sisters, wives or other female relatives under their guardianship go to these centres or clubs. 

End quote from the shaykh’s fatwas for ad-Da‘wah magazine no. 1765/54