Nasai

401. Commentary:

➊ "Hammam" is derived from "hameem," which means hot water. By "hammam" are meant those communal bathhouses in which arrangements for hot water are made and where anyone can bathe. Since people come and go there at all times, there is a risk of exposure, especially in that era when there was a room specifically designated for undressing and dressing. From there, people would go naked into the bathhouse, and in the rows of the bathhouse, many bathers would be naked together. On this basis, some ahadith have condemned the use of hammams.

➋ It is better for a person to bathe in his own private household bathroom, where the general public does not come and there is no risk of exposure. However, if ever compelled to bathe in "hammamat" (communal bathhouses), one should bathe while wearing an izar (waist-wrapper) so that there is no exposure. For women, bathing in "hammamat" is a grave sin, as almost their entire body is considered 'awrah (that which must be covered). The hammams present in our region are not like those, nor do they possess the aforementioned faults.

Explanation:
1:
These "hammamat" were public bathhouses, in which men and women all used to bathe naked together. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) permitted men to bathe while wearing a lower garment (izaar), whereas he instructed women to stay away from them. From this hadith, it is also understood that it is not permissible to participate in any gathering where intoxicants and unlawful things are being circulated.

Note:
(In the chain of narration, Layth ibn Abi Sulaym is a weak narrator, but due to corroborating reports, this hadith is hasan. Al-Irwa: 1949, Ghayat al-Maram: 190)