Praise be to Allaah.
You should note that the Muslim is commanded to protect his religious commitment and to keep away from places of fitnah (temptation). Going to these beaches is haraam because of the uncovering of ‘awrahs and careless mixing between men and women that happen there.
Moreover these places are filled with evil things, so it is not permissible for you to go there, unless you are going to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; if he cannot, then with his heart [by hating it and feeling that it is wrong] – and that is the weakest of faith.” (Narrated by Muslim, 49)
If you stay with them without enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, then you are partaking in sin with them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’aan) that when you hear the Verses of Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allaah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell” [al-Nisa’ 4:140]
This verse indicates that whoever sits in a sinful gathering and does not denounce them shares the burden of sin equally with them. He should denounce them if they engage in sinful talk or sinful actions. If he is unable to denounce them then he should get up and leave them. (Tafseer al-Qaasimi, 5/526)
Do not let the Shaytaan deceive you and make you say that you will not pay any attention to what other people are wearing. This is the deception of the Shaytaan, because if a person goes (to such places) his gaze will inevitably fall upon something that makes his Lord angry. A man may look at something unintentionally, but the Shaytaan can use this glance to great effect and make it the means that leads to fitnah, Allaah forbid. I ask Allaah to grant us and you refuge from being led astray by fitnah, and to make us steadfast.
Moreover, anything that could be a source of temptation among women must be prevented. So their swimming in clothes that do not cover their ‘awrah (parts of the body which must be covered) properly because they stick to the body is something that is not allowed. If they swim in clothes that cover them, in a place far from the gaze of men, and cover themselves as soon as they come out of the water so that others will not see them in clothes that show the shape or colour of their ‘awrah, then there is nothing wrong with this so long as they adhere to the shar’i conditions.
There is no harm for women to swim or to go the swimming pools if the following conditions are met:
1- A woman should be covering her Awrah ((parts of the body that must be covered in Islam).
2- The place should be free from mixing with men.
3- The other women at that place also should be covering their Awrah.
4- The place should be safe in such a manner that men cannot see the women.
5- A married woman should take the permission of her husband for going there.
Among the above conditions is that a woman should not see other women's 'Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered in Islam - in case of women, it is all their body except their face and hands) and we think that you will be seeing other women's 'Awrah. So in this case it is not permissible for you to go even if you are covering your 'Awrah. Some scholarsare of the view that a non-Muslim woman can only see the face and hands of a Muslim woman as all her body is an 'Awrah in front of non-Muslim women except her face and hands. This is the view of the Maaliki school; their evidence is the Saying of Allaah (which means): {...and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands fathers, or their sons, or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e., their sisters in Islam),..}[Quran 24:31]. This means that a Muslim woman should not reveal her beauty to a non-Muslim woman, so you have to be cautious about this as a non-Muslim woman could describe you to her husband and the like.
The Good News, the community does offer swimming for sisters; “The Sister’s Swimming”:
When: Saturdays
Time: 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
Location: Bob Bahan Pool 4812 14 Ave. S.E. Calgary (48 St. and 14 Ave. S.E.)
Swimming Team:
403-630-1333 Seham
403-689-0496 Fatima
May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
And Allaah knows best.
