Is it a sin to go on holiday to the seaside in summer? We go to the seaside but women and men go swimming together. Is it appropriate for us to be there; is it appropriate for my spouse to swim there?

Is it a sin to go on holiday to the seaside in summer? We go to the seaside but women and men go swimming together. Is it appropriate for us to be there; is it appropriate for my spouse to swim there? Will you give information about our religion’s understanding of holiday?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There are two drawbacks of going swimming: The first one is a person’s showing one’s body to non-mahram people; the second one is seeing other people’s mahram places.

We do not advise you to go swimming in the sea since people do not act in accordance with the rules of tasattur (covering the body).

The parts of the body of a woman and man that need to be covered are called awrah. There are four types of awrah:

1. The awrah of a man for another man,
2. The awrah of a woman for another woman,
3. The awrah of a man for a woman,
4. The awrah of a woman for a man.

The awrah of a man for another man: The part of the body between the knees and the navel. It is haram to look at the body of another man between his knees and the navel. That is the view of the majority of the scholars.

The awrah of a woman for another woman is between the knees and the navel. It is not permissible to look at the body of another woman between her knees and the navel in any place including a public bath.

The awrah of a man for a woman is between the knees and the navel.

The awrah of a woman for a man is the whole body except her face and hands. Therefore, it is haram for a woman and a man to open their awrah places and to look at others’ awrah places.

Questions on Islam