Islamic Etiquette of Using Bathroom

Md. Mokhter Ahmad

Assistant Professor
IIUC-Dhaka Campus
Email: mokhter_ahmad@yahoo.com

Introduction:
In the first place, we would like to note that Islam has stipulated noble principles and
teachings that will guide man in every aspect of life. Nothing is left untouched by this
great religion revealed to cater for the welfare of mankind. This fact is further stressed
in the following statement of a Prophet’s Companion named Salmān Al-Fārsī when he
was asked by a non-Muslim: “Your Prophet has taught you everything, even how to
defecate!” Salmān said, “Yes, he forbade us to face the qiblah when urinating or
defecating…” (Sunan Abī Dāūd: No. 7)
‫ قيل له لقد علمكم نبيكم كل شيء حتى الخراءة ق ال أج ل لق د نهان ا ص لى هللا علي ه وس لم أن نس تقبل‬
‫القبلة بغائط أو بول وأن ال نستنجي باليمين وأن ال يستنجي أحدنا بأقل من ثالثة أحجار أو نس تنجي‬
)‫برجيع أو عظم (سنن أبي داود‬
Answering the call of nature is facilitation from Allah for the sake of relieving
ourselves of pains, illness and injuries. This is why we are to express our thankfulness
to Allah for this facility. The Prophet used to say while coming out of toilet:
‫ ودفع عني أذاه رواه الطبراني وابن الس ني عن ابن‬،‫ وأبقى ف ّي قوته‬،‫ الحمد هلل الذي أذاقني لذته‬: 
‫عمر‬
'All praises are due to Allah Who let me taste His bounty, kept in me His strength, and
removed from me pain.'
And in recognition to Allah's mercy we are to seek His forgiveness after coming out of
bathroom. 'Āishah (r) reported from her father who used to say:
...‫ استحيوا من هللا فإني ألدخل فأغطي رأسي استحياء من ربي عز وجل‬: 
We will be recognizing the favor of Allah upon us if we follow the following
etiquettes while using bathroom. These are regarded to be the 'Bathroom Etiquettes':
'Bathroom Etiquettes'
1) To enter the bathroom with the left leg first, not with the right leg first and to
recite the supplication (du'ā) that is reported in the hadīth:
.‫ اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الخبث والخبائث متفق عليه‬:‫إذا دخل الخالء قال‬ ‫ كان رسول هللا‬:‫ عن أنس قال‬
Anas (r) reported that the Prophet would recite while entering toilet: 'O Allah, I seek
refuge with You from male and female devils'.
There is another supplication we are to recite while coming out of the toilet:
‫ول هللا إذا‬v‫ان رس‬v‫ ك‬:‫الت‬v‫ عن عائشة ا ق‬. ‫ الحمد هلل الذي أذهب عني األذى وعافاني‬،‫ غفرانك‬
‫رج من‬v‫ول هللا إذا خ‬v‫ان رس‬v‫ ك‬:‫ال‬v‫ وعن أنس ق‬.‫ غفرانك رواه الخمسة‬:‫ال‬v‫ط ق‬v‫رج من الغائ‬v‫خ‬
.‫ رواه ابن ماجه‬v‫ الحمد هلل الذي أذهب عني األذى وعافاني‬:‫الخالء قال‬

2) To tie up the clothes before entering bathroom so that those do not be polluted
with dirt or impurity:
3) Not to face the qiblah when urinating or defecating. This is out of respect for the
qiblah and for the symbols and rituals of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (saas)
 said, “When any one of you sits down to answer the call of nature, he should not
face the qiblah or turn his back towards it.” (Muslim)
‫ا‬v‫ة وال يولّه‬v‫تقبل القبل‬v‫ط فال يس‬v‫دكم الغائ‬v‫ إذا أتى أح‬:‫ال‬v‫ق‬ ‫بي‬v‫ عن الن‬v‫اري‬v‫وب األنص‬v‫ عن أبي أي‬
.‫ شرّقوا أو غرّبوا متفق عليه‬،‫ظهره‬

4) One should carry anything with him which contains the name of Allah or verse of
the Qur'an. The Prophet (saas) used to put off his ring (used for seal) where the
phase "Muhammad the Messenger of Allah" was written while entering toilet.'
(Abī Dāūd)
5) To ensure that the door of the toilet is closed.
6) A person should not uncover his `awrah (private parts) before reaching the toilet,
closing the door and squatting close to the ground, because this is more
concealing. Ibn Abbās (r) reported: “When the Prophet (saas) wanted to answer
the call of nature, he would not lift his garment until he had squatted close to the
ground.” (Abī Dāūd).
It is worth noting that the habit of urinating in a standing position in front of other
people in public toilets (using urinals) is something which goes against good manners,
modesty and decency, and is repulsive to sound common sense and wisdom. How can
anybody uncover in front of other people the `awrah that Allah has concealed and
commanded him to cover it? It is wrong in principle to build restrooms of this
shameful type where the users can see one another, thus making them worse than some
kinds of animals whose habit is to conceal themselves from one another when
urinating or defecating.
If a person is out in an open space and cannot find anything to conceal him when he
needs to answer the call of nature, he should move far away from the other people
around him, because Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu`bah (r) said, “I was with the Prophet (saas)
on a journey, when he felt the need to answer the call of nature, so he went far away.”
(Al-Tirmidhī) `Abdullah ibn Abī Qurād (r) said, “I went out with the Messenger of
Allah (saas) to an open space, and when he needed to answer the call of nature, he
moved away.” (Al-Nasā’ī)
To close the eyes and not to look at the private parts, because Allah is the most worthy
to be shamed of. As 'Āishah (r) reported from her father who used to say:
...‫ استحيوا من هللا فإني ألدخل فأغطي رأسي استحياء من ربي عز وجل‬: 
'Feel ashamed of Allah. For indeed I do enter the toilet and cover my head due to the
shyness of my Lord.'
7) Talking, eating, greeting, responding to the greeting, or remembering Allah while
in the state of urinating or defecating is totally repugnant to Islamic etiquette. Jābir
Ibn `Abdullah reported that a man passed by the Prophet (saas) while he was
urinating and greeted him. The Messenger of Allah (saas) said to him, “If you see
me in this state, do not greet me, because if you do, I will not respond.” (Ibn
Majah). Ibn 'Umar also narrates the same story:
.‫وهو يبوّل فسلم عليه فلم يرد عليه رواه مسلم‬ ‫ م ّر رجل بالنبي‬: 
Jābir (r) reports that it causes Allah's wrath and anger:
‫احبه وال‬v‫ا عن ص‬v‫د منهم‬v‫ل واح‬v‫ ك‬v‫وار‬v‫رجالن فليت‬v‫وّط ال‬v‫ إذا تغ‬: ‫ول هللا‬v‫ قال رس‬:‫ عن جابر قال‬
‫يتحدثا فإن هللا يمقت على ذلك رواه أحمد‬
8) The Sunnah is to answer the call of nature sitting, making oneself close to the
ground, because this is more concealing and makes it less likely that spray from
one's urine will come back on one’s body or clothes, making them dirty.
‫ من ح ّدثكم أن رسول هللا بال قائما فال تص ّدقوه رواه الترمذي‬:‫ا قالت‬ ‫ عن عائشة‬
9) He should not touch his penis with his right hand when urinating because the
Prophet (saas) said, “When any one of you urinates, he should not hold his penis in
his right hand or clean it with his right hand; and (when drinking), he should not
breathe into the vessel.” (Al-Bukhari)
ّ
‫ح من‬v‫يتمس‬ ‫ وال‬،‫ول‬v‫و يب‬v‫ه وه‬v‫ره بيمين‬v‫دكم ذك‬v‫" ال يمس ّّن أح‬: ‫ هللا‬v‫ قال رسول‬:‫ عن أبي قتادة قال‬
‫الخالء بيمينه متفق عليه‬
10) He should not remove najāsah (impurity) with his right hand. The left hand should
be used for this purpose, because of the hadīth quoted above and because the
Prophet (saas) said, “When any one of you wipes himself, he should not use his
right hand.” (Al-Bukhari)
He should be careful to remove all impurity after answering the call of nature because
the Prophet (saas) warned against being careless in cleaning oneself after urinating.
“Most of the punishment of the grave will be because of urine.” (Ibn Majah)
‫بر منه رواه‬v‫ذاب الق‬v‫ة ع‬v‫إن عام‬v‫ول ف‬v‫ استنزهوا من الب‬: ‫ هللا‬v‫ قال رسول‬:‫قال‬ ‫ وعن أبي هريرة‬
.‫الدارقطني‬
Ibn `Abbas (r) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saas) passed by two graves and
said, “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for any major sin. One
of them used not to protect himself (i.e., keep himself clean from) his urine, and the
other used to walk about spreading malicious gossip.” (Al-Bukhari)
‫ان ال‬vv‫دهما فك‬vv‫ا أح‬vv‫ أم‬:‫ير‬vv‫ذبان في كب‬vv‫ا يع‬vv‫ وم‬،‫ذبان‬vv‫ (إنهما ليع‬:‫ م َّر صلى هللا عليه وسلم على قبرين فقال‬
.]‫[ متفق عليه‬.‫ وأما اآلخر فكان يمشي بالنميمة‬،‫ من بوله‬v‫يستتر‬
11) Any impurity should be washed or wiped three times or an odd number of times
greater than three, according to whatever is needed to cleanse it, because `Ā’ishah
(r) reported that the Prophet (saas) used to wash his posterior three times. Ibn
`Umar (r) said, “We did this too and found it to be healing and cleansing.” (Ibn
Majah) Abu Hurayrah (r) reported that the Prophet (saas) said, “When any one of
you cleans himself (with stones or similar material) let him use an odd number.”
(Ahmad)
It is so because it ensures one's purification for sure. This is very praiseworthy. Allah
praised this type of people who are extra careful for cleanliness:
َ َ‫ إِ َّن هّللا َ يُ ِحبُّ التَّ َّوابِينَ َويُ ِحبُّ ْال ُمت‬:‫ قال تعالى‬
.‫) البقرة‬222( َ‫طه ِِّرين‬
‫ه‬vv‫ {في‬:‫اء‬vvَ‫(نزلت في أهل قُب‬
ْ :‫ قال رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬:‫ قال‬-‫رضي هللا عنه‬- ‫ عن أبي هريرة‬
‫نزلت فيهم‬vv‫ ف‬،‫اء‬vv‫تنجون بالم‬vv‫ كانوا يس‬.]108:‫ وهللا يحب المطهرين} [التوبة‬v‫رجال يحبون أن يتطهروا‬
‫اآلية [أبو داود والترمذي‬
Abū Hurairah (r) narrated that this verse was revealed for the people of Quba who
used to cleanse themselves with water.
12) A person should not urinate by the roadside or in places where people seek shade
because this is offensive to them. Abū Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (saas)
said, “Fear the two things that bring curses.” They asked, “What are the two things
that bring curses, Messenger of Allah?” He said: “When a person relieves himself
 in the road where people walk or in the place where they seek shade.” (Reported
by Abu Dawud)
‫ذي يتخلَّى‬vv‫ (ال‬:‫ال‬vv‫ وما اللعانان يا رسول هللا؟ ق‬:‫ قالوا‬.)‫ (اتقوا اللَّعَّانين‬:‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬v‫ قال الرسول‬
.]‫ الناس أو في ظلهم [مسلم‬v‫(يقضي حاجته) في طريق‬
13) A person should not urinate into stagnant water, because Jābir (r) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (saas) forbade anyone to urinate into stagnant water
(Muslim/Nasā'ī), and because this makes the water impure and harms those who
use it.
14) To come out of toilet as soon as possible after finishing one's urge. One is also
recommended to wash his hands with water and soap after cleansing himself from
impurity.
15) One is recommended to make ablution after using toilet. It was the custom of
Hazrat Bilal (r):
‫ه‬vv‫ فقال له النبي صلى هللا علي‬v،‫ يتوضأ بعد أن يقضي حاجته ويصلي‬-‫رضي هللا عنه‬- ‫ كان بالل بن رباح‬
َّ ‫معت د‬vv‫ فإني س‬،‫ حدثني بأرجى عمل عملتَه في اإلسالم‬،‫ (يا بالل‬:‫وسلم‬
.‫ة‬vv‫دي في الجن‬vv‫ك بين ي‬vv‫َف نعلي‬
ُ v‫ ما عملت عمال أرجى عندي من أني لم أتطهر طهورًا في ساعة من ليل أو نهار إال ص‬:‫قال بالل‬
‫ليت‬v
َ ِ‫بذلك الطهور ما ُكت‬
.]‫ [متفق عليه‬.‫ب لي أن أصلي‬
The Prophet asked Bilal: O Bilal! Tell me of the most beloved activities you do in
Islam, because I heard the sound of your shoes in Jannah. He said: I have done nothing
extra except that whenever I purify myself anytime in day or night I perform salat with
that purify as far I have been destined to..".

Conclusion:
Many other etiquette are there for using bathroom. If we perform those we will
hopefully be greatly rewarded by Allah. May Allah accepts all our good deeds.