the renunciation of superfluous permissible comforts. The renunciation prescribed by Islam means relinquishing the desire for what brings no benefit in the Hereafter. Undoubtedly, when visiting a bathhouse does not assist one in deeds that benefit the Hereafter, refraining from it constitutes such prescribed renunciation.

There is another reason for refraining from it: scrupulousness. The scrupulousness prescribed by Islam means avoiding what may cause harm in the Hereafter. Some of this is obligatory, such as refraining from what is forbidden. Some falls below that level, namely avoiding doubtful matters whose status many people do not know, and other reprehensible things.

Undoubtedly, visiting a bathhouse may be forbidden when it involves a prohibited act: exposing the parts of the body that must be covered; deliberately looking at those parts of another person’s body; allowing an unrelated person to touch those parts of one’s own body, or touching those parts of an unrelated person’s body; wronging the bathhouse keeper by withholding his due, using more water than the payment agreement allows, or staying longer than the fee covers without his consent; committing indecent acts there; engaging in the forbidden speech that so often occurs there; or missing the obligatory prayers.

Other aspects may be reprehensible, whether forbidden or not, such as using copious amounts of water and staying a long time even when paying for both, spending extravagantly on bathhouse visits, exposing oneself to what is forbidden without actually engaging in it, and so forth. Likewise, taking pleasure