Part 39

Related Issue: Two conditions must be fulfilled for one to stand up and urinate:

a) He must be safe from his garment or body becoming sullied. b) He must be safe from anyone seeing him.

Question: If one does not need to do so, may he urinate standing up? Answer: The Permanent Council (Of Scholars In Saudi Arabia) issued this ruling: If a person urinates while he is standing up

without the need to do so, he is not sinning; nonetheless, he has left what is better...and what the Prophet # did most of the time.

8) The Prohibition Of Using One's Right Hand To Clean Oneself After Passing Stool Or Urine

Whoever reflects on revealed texts is sure to find that the Shariah honors the right hand and foot over the left hand and foot. The Shariah promotes the use of one’s right hand and foot for honorable purposes, and one’s left hand and foot for other

"I Related by Bukhaaree (225), Muslim (273), Ahmad (22730), At-Tirmidhee (13), An-Nassaaee (18), Abu Daawood (23), Ibn Maajah (305), and AdDaarimee (668).

purposes. In this regard, the Prophet # forbade Muslims from touching their private parts or cleaning themselves after passing stool or urine with their right hands. Ibn Al-Jawzee explained that there are two reasons behind these prohibitions: ‘First, the right hand is honorable and is above being used for ignoble tasks, which is why the right foot leads when one is exiting from the bathroom or entering the Masjid; and which is also why the right is used for eating, drinking, and handing objects to others. Conversely, the left hand is used for the lowly task of cleaning filth. Second, if a person were to make his right hand touch impurities, he would remember what he touched when it came time to eating with his right hand; he would feel disgusted, and he would perhaps even imagine that some specks of the impurities remained on his hand. The right hand is preserved from coming into contact with impurities, so that one can feel safe [and noble and clean] when using his right hand to eat and drink.”

Abu Qataadah reported that the Prophet 2% said,

“When one of you urinates, then let him not hold his private part with his right hand; let him not then clean himself with his right hand; and [furthermore, when he drinks,] let him not breathe into a glass (or any vessel used for drinking).”")

Muslim and others related the narration thus:

“As one of you is urinating, let him not touch his private part with his right hand; and after relieving himself, let him not wipe [himself clean] with his right hand...”” 2]

1) Related by Bukhaaree (154), Muslim (267).

"1 Related by Bukhaaree (153), Muslim (267), Ahmad (18927), At-Tirmidhee (15), An-Nassaaee (24), Abu Daawood (31), Ibn Maajah (310), and AdDaarimee (673).

Chapter - 10 The Manners Of Going To The Bathroom

An-Nawawee said, “Scholars unanimously agree that it is forbidden to clean oneself after one passes urine or stool with his right hand, and the vast majority of scholars agree that ‘prohibition’ here means that it is a lowly act and a show of bad manners to use one’s right hand for the said purpose, and not that the act is Haram (forbidden in the sense that a person is punished for violating the prohibition; so it is slightly less in its degree of wrongness than something that is ‘Haram’).

Question: The hadith explicitly mentions cleaning one’s private part for urinating but not one’s anus for defecating, so what is the ruling for using one’s right hand to clean the area around his anus after he passes stool?

Answer: In accordance with the Islamic principles of analogy, just as it is forbidden to touch one’s private part after urinating, so too is it forbidden to clean one’s anus with his right hand. It seems that the Prophet # deemed it sufficient to forbid the less ignoble of the two acts, thus alluding to the prohibition of the one that is more abominable. It is appropriate that the Prophet #8 did not mention the more abominable act, for he # was very modest in his speech and actions; in fact, he #% was, ‘More modest than a virgin in her Khidr (a screened area of a house that is allocated to a virgin)" No one should counter with, “Modesty did not prevent the Prophet # from conveying the teachings of the religion,” because he #% did convey the ruling for this issue by mentioning the lesser wrong, thus alluding to the greater wrong. And Allah 3€ knows best.

Question: Talq # said, “We went to the Prophet of Allah #%, and then a man, who seemed to be a Bedouin, came to him and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, what do you judge about a man who touches his private part after he performs Wudoo (ablution)?’ He 3 said,

1! Related by Bukhaaree (3562), Muslim (2320), Ahmad (11286), and Ibn Maajah (4180).

‘Is it anything other than part of it (part of your body, i.e., just as you don’t have to perform ablution when you touch any other part of your body, likewise you don’t have to perform ablution when you touch your private part).’”"1)

The hadith apparently indicates that one does not have to perform ablution after one touches his private part. How then do we find harmony between this hadith and the hadith in which the Prophet #¢ said,

‘Whoever touches his private part, then let him perform ablution’’??)

Answer: The Permanent Council (of Scholars in Saudi Arabia) issued this ruling: From the various opinions of scholars in this issue, the Raajaih view (the one that is strongest and is best supported by evidence) is the view held by the majority of scholars: that when one touches his private part, his ablution is invalidated, and so he must perform it again. This is because the hadith “Is it anything other than a part of you” is weak, and so it cannot validly be said to oppose authentic narrations, narrations which indicate that when a person touches his private part, he has to perform ablution over again. Furthermore the Prophet #% used the imperative when he said, ‘’Then let him perform ablution,” and it is well known that the basic purpose of the imperative is to show that something is obligatory. And even if we were to suppose that Talq’s narration is not weak, then it is abrogated by the hadith, ‘Whoever touches his private part, then let him perform ablution.”

1 Related by Abu Daawood (182); Ibn Hajr said, “This hadith is Sahech or Hasan (Fathul-Baaree, 1/306). Al-Albaanee ruled that it is authentic. And these compilers related it as well: Ahmad (15857), At-Tirmidhee (85), and Tbn Maajah (483).

"1 Related by Abu Daawood (181), and Al-Albaanee gave it a ‘sahih’ grade; by Ahmad (26749); by An-Nassaaee (163); by At-Tirmidhee (82); by Ibn Maajah (479); by Maalik (91); and by Ad-Daarimee (725).

Chapter - 10 The Manners Of Going To The Bathroom 243

9) Al-lstinjaa And Al-Istijmaar

Al-Istinjaa is to clean the area that is affected by stool with water; Al-Istijmaar is to clean the affected area with stones (or anything that acts as a substitute, such as tissue paper), and the two terms may, in certain circumstances, be used interchangeably.

One of the many beautiful aspects of the Shariah is that it came to make people's affairs easy for them and to remove hardship from them. Allah 3€ said:

“Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.’ (Qur’an 2:185)

Concerning the issue in question, Allah % has made matters easy for His slaves by allowing them to use stones or any clean substitute, such as paper or tissue paper, to clean themselves after they finish passing stool or urine; such objects are alternatives to water for the purpose of purifying affected areas. To be sure, this makes matters easy, for one is not able to use water in all situations.

Abu Hurairah 4 said, “’I followed the Prophet #% and he went to relieve himself. He did not turn around, and I approached him. Then he #& said,

1255 Vo ple sl Va - tS ot & Jazel nee! “Search out for stones, I will purify myself with them,’ - or he #8

said something similar. [Then he # said,] ‘And do not bring me any bones or manure.’

Then, with the side of my garment, { brought stones to him, and I placed them at his side. I turned away from him, and when he finished, he used them [to purify himself].”""!

Related Issue: After passing stool or urine, one can purify himself with water alone, with stones alone, or with water and stones (when I say stones, I am referring to alternatives, such as

"1 Related by Bukhaaree (155).

toilet paper, as well) together. As for the first and second ways of purification, authentic narrations establish them. As for the third way, I do not know of any narration from the Prophet #¢ that establishes it; nonetheless, if we look at the end result, there is no doubt that one achieves a greater degree of purification by using stones and water together: 4]

10) It Is Disliked To Perform Istijmaar With Bones Or Manure

Although Allah 3, upon the tongue of His Prophet #8, permitted the use of stones and other pure objects as alternatives to water for purification, He #€ forbade the use of manure and bones. Perhaps these two objects are not suited for the purpose of purification, and that is the reason behind the prohibition; or perhaps there is another reason for the prohibition that we do not know about, in which case simple, unquestioning obedience is required from us. Once, when the Prophet # was relieving himself, ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood # was nearby. ‘Abdullah #% later related, “The Prophet #% went to Al-Ghaait (a place prepared as a toilet) and he ordered me to bring him three stones, but I only found two stones, and though I searched for a third, I couldn't find one. So I took (a piece] of manure, and I went with what I had to the Prophet #%. He # took the two stones and cast away the manure. And he #% said,

In the hitherto related hadith of Abu Hurairah 4, the Prophet #8 said to him,

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“Search out for stones, I will purify myself with them, and do not come to me with bones or manure.””

1] [bn ‘Uthaimeen said this in Ash-Sharh Al-Mumtai’ (1/105). '1 Related by Bukhaaree (156), Ahmad (3677), At-Tirmidhee (17), AnNassaaee (42), and Ibn Maajah (314).