Manners Of Going To The Bathroom
Say the supplication when entering
When one is entering the bathroom, one should enter with the left foot and say the following supplication
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
In the Name of Allah O Allah, I seek Refuge with You from all offensive and wicked things (evil deeds and evil spirits)
As one is leaving the toilet, one should leave with the right foot and say the supplication below
غُفْرَانَكَ
I seek Your forgiveness
It is narrated in At-Tirmidhi that Aishah said: “When the Prophet (ﷺ) would exit the toilet he would say: ‘Ghufranak.’”
A person should avoid facing the qibla or showing his back toward it
Abu Huraira said: “When any one amongst you squats for answering the call of nature, he should neither turn his face towards the Qibla nor turn his back towards it.” (Muslim)
A person should avoid relieving himself or herself in three places
Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Be on your guard against three things which provoke cursing: easing in the watering places and on the thoroughfares, and in the shade (of the tree).” (Abu Dawud)
A person should not relieve himself on herself in:
- Pathways that lead to water and stagnant water (standing water) because it makes the water impure and harmful to those who use it.
- Middle of the road, path to walk on
- Shade to sit under (where people take shelter and rest)
It is prohibited to use one’s right hand when cleaning oneself after passing stool or urine
Narrated Abu Qatada: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Whenever anyone of you drinks water, he should not breathe in the drinking utensil, and whenever anyone of you goes to a lavatory, he should neither touch his private parts nor clean his private parts with his right hand.” (Bukhari)
* One should use the left hand when cleansing oneself.
It is recommended to clean an odd number of time and to use an odd number of stone
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you performs ablution he should put water in his nose and then blow it out and whoever cleans his private parts with stones should do so with odd numbers. And whoever wakes up from his sleep should wash his hands before putting them in the water for ablution, because nobody knows where his hands were during sleep.” (Bukhari)
It is sunnah to clean with water
Narrated Anas bin Malik: “Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) went to answer the call of nature, I used to bring water with which he used to clean himself.” (Bukhari)
Practical tips:
- First, use tissue paper to remove filth. Use the left hand to wipe
- Second, wash with water. Pour water with the right hand and wash with the left.
- Third, dry with tissue paper. Use the left hand to dry
*To prevent infection or lower the risk of infection such as UTI, it is recommended to wipe from front to back.
A person should remove the impurity properly and to ensure that there are no urine droplets on one's clothes or body.
It is narrated by Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) happened to pass by two graves and said: They (their occupants) are being tormented, but they are not tormented for a grievous sin. One of them carried tales and the other did not keep himself safe from being defiled by urine. He then called for a fresh twig and split it into two parts, and planted them on each grave and then said: Perhaps, their punishment will be mitigated as long as these twigs remain fresh. (Muslim)
Before entering a toilet, the person should remove anything with the name of Allah
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that: “When the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the toilet, he would take off his ring.” (Ibn Maajah)
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to remove his ring before entering the toilet because it had the name of Allah.
Narrated Anas: “that when Abu Bakr became the Caliph, he wrote a letter to him (and stamped it with the Prophet's ring) and the engraving of the ring was in three lines: ‘Muhammad’ in one line, ‘Messenger’ in another line, and ‘Allah’ in a third line.” (Bukhari)
When you are relieving yourself, ensure that no one can see you
Mughira b. Shu'ba reported: “I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey when he said: Mughira take hold of this jar (of water). I took hold of it and I went out with him. (I stopped but) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) proceeded on till he was out of my sight. He relieved himself and then came back and he was wearing a tight-sleeved Syrian gown. He tried to get his forearms out. but the sleeve of the gown was very narrow, so he brought his hands out from under the gown. I poured water over (his hands) and he performed ablution for prayer, then wiped over his socks and prayed.” (Muslim)
Practical tips:
- To wear slippers in the toilet
- Wash your hands thoroughly - wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and good hands hygiene prevents infections and diseases.
- Leave the toilet clean and ensure to flush the toilet after use. Ensure to leave the toilet clean by wiping the seat and the sink if needed and make it ready for the next person to use.