What istinja is, and why it matters

Islam teaches us about every part of life, even the toilet. Some people once said to the Companion Salman, as a joke: your Prophet teaches you everything, even how to use the toilet? Salman was not ashamed. He said: yes, and he explained the manners Nabi ﷺ taught them¹.

Two words to know:

• Istinja: cleaning the private parts after urine or stool, usually with water.
• Istijmar: cleaning with something dry, like stones in the past, or tissue today.

Most scholars say cleaning after the toilet is required. Hanafis call it a strong sunnah, but they agree that salah is not valid if more than a very small amount is left on the body. Istinja is not part of wudu itself. It is a separate step you do first, so that you are clean when you make wudu.

Allah praised the people of Quba, a village near Madinah: in it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who purify themselves². Nabi ﷺ said this ayah came down about them because they used to clean themselves with water³.

Water, tissue, or both

All three ways are allowed:

• Water. Anas said that when Nabi ﷺ went to the toilet, he and another boy carried a small pot of water for him, so he could wash⁴. Water cleans fully, so it is better than tissue alone.
• Tissue or stones alone. Nabi ﷺ also used stones. He asked Abu Huraira to bring him stones to clean himself⁵. This is still allowed today, even if water is nearby, as long as the mess has not spread beyond its usual place.
• Both together: the best. Wipe first with tissue, then wash with water. The tissue removes most of it, and the water finishes the job.

When tissue alone is not enough

If the urine or stool has spread well beyond the opening, onto the wider skin, then you must wash with water. The schools give slightly different limits for this, but the idea is the same: tissue is for the normal, small amount.

Rules for wiping

• Not less than three wipes. Nabi ﷺ told us not to clean with fewer than three stones⁶. Shafi'is and Hanbalis say three wipes are required, even if you look clean sooner. Hanafis and Malikis say the real goal is to be clean, and three is the sunnah.
• Keep going if needed. If three wipes are not enough, wipe more. Finishing on an odd number, like 5 or 7, is sunnah⁷.
• Use something clean, dry and soft that soaks up: tissue, paper towel, a clean stone. Do not use bones or animal dung⁸. When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud brought Nabi ﷺ a piece of dried dung, he threw it away and said: this is dirty⁹.
• Do not use food, or paper with the name of Allah or Quran written on it.

Use your left hand

Nabi ﷺ said: when you use the toilet, do not hold your private part with your right hand, and do not clean yourself with your right hand¹⁰.

• Pour water with the right hand if you like, and clean with the left.
• The right hand is kept for eating, shaking hands and giving things.
• If your left hand is hurt, or you cannot use it, use the right. Allah does not ask more than you can do.
• Afterwards, wash your hands well with soap.

Going in and coming out

Before you go in, say Bismillah. Nabi ﷺ said that saying Bismillah when you enter the toilet is a screen between the jinn and your private parts¹¹.

Then say the dua Nabi ﷺ used to say when he went in¹²:

When he came out, he said ghufranak, which means: I ask for Your forgiveness¹³.

• Say the dua before you step in. If you forgot and you are already inside, say it in your heart.
• Scholars recommend going in with the left foot and coming out with the right foot, the opposite of a masjid.

Facing the qibla

Nabi ﷺ said: when you go to relieve yourself in an open space, do not face the qibla (the direction of the Kaaba), and do not turn your back to it¹⁴.

But Abdullah ibn Umar once went up onto a roof and saw Nabi ﷺ inside a house, relieving himself with his back to the qibla¹⁵. Because of these two hadith, scholars differ about toilets inside buildings:

• Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali: not allowed in the open. Allowed inside a building or behind a screen, though it is still better to avoid it.
• Hanafi: avoid it everywhere, inside and outside.

So if you are building or changing a bathroom, try to place the toilet sideways to the qibla. If the toilet in your home already faces the qibla, most scholars say you may use it. If you can, turn your body a little to the side.

Privacy and good manners

• Stay out of sight. When Nabi ﷺ was outdoors, he went far away, where no one could see him¹⁶. He liked to use a high wall or a group of palm trees as a screen¹⁷.
• Uncover only when you need to. He would not lift his clothes until he was close to the ground¹⁸.
• Do not talk without a need. A man once greeted Nabi ﷺ while he was urinating, and he did not answer him¹⁹. He answered after making wudu, and said: I did not like to mention Allah unless I was pure²⁰. All four schools say talking in the toilet is disliked, unless you need to, for example to warn someone or ask for help.
• Do not say Allah's name out loud inside. You may remember Allah in your heart. If you sneeze, praise Allah in your heart.
• Do not take a mushaf (a printed Quran) into the toilet. If you are afraid it will be stolen if you leave it outside, keep it covered in a bag.
• Jewelry with Allah's name on it: take it off before going in, or keep it covered.

Places not to use

Nabi ﷺ cared about other people, not just about our own cleanliness. He told us not to relieve ourselves in places that harm others:

• Still water. Do not urinate in water that is not flowing, which you or others may later wash in²¹.
• Paths and shade. Nabi ﷺ warned against two things that make people curse you: relieving yourself on a path people walk on, or in the shade where people sit and rest²².

Today this also means: leave the toilet clean for the next person, flush, and do not leave a wet floor or seat.

Be careful with urine

Keeping urine off your body and clothes matters a lot. Nabi ﷺ once passed two graves and said the people in them were being punished. One of them was punished because he did not protect himself from his urine²³.

In practice:

• Make sure urine does not splash on you or your clothes.
• Wait until the flow has stopped before you clean and stand up.
• If urine gets on your clothes, wash that spot before you pray. See the chapter on najasa (impure things).

Standing or sitting

Nabi ﷺ normally sat (squatted) to urinate. Aisha said: if anyone tells you he urinated standing, do not believe him. He only urinated sitting²⁷.

But Hudhaifa saw him once, at a rubbish heap outside, urinate standing²⁸. Aisha spoke about what she saw at home. Hudhaifa saw something she did not see.

• Sitting is better, and it was his usual way.
• Standing is allowed if you are covered and no urine splashes on you. Hanafis say it is disliked without a reason.
• Many public urinals make it hard to stay covered and avoid splashes. If you can, use a closed toilet.

Drops after urinating, and doubts

Some men find that a few drops come out after they have finished. A few simple steps help:

• Wait a moment for the flow to stop fully before you clean.
• Clean well, then get up. Some scholars recommend a light cough or a few steps. Do not overdo it: squeezing hard or waiting a long time can make it worse.
• If you know for sure a drop came out after wudu, your wudu is broken. Wash that spot and make wudu again.

When doubts take over

Some people feel wet all the time and keep checking. This is called waswasa (whispered doubts). The answer is not more checking. It is less.

• After he urinated and made wudu, Nabi ﷺ sprinkled a little water on his private area²⁹. Scholars say: do the same on your underwear. Then, if you feel wet later, you can tell yourself it is just that water.
• Doubt does not cancel certainty. A man asked Nabi ﷺ about feeling that something came out during salah. He said: do not leave the prayer unless you hear a sound or notice a smell³⁰. The same rule works here: unless you are sure, you are still clean.
• Do not keep checking your clothes. Every check feeds the doubt.

Common questions

My office toilet only has tissue. Is my salah valid?

Yes. Wipe at least three times, until clean, with your left hand. Tissue alone is enough as long as the mess has not spread. Some people keep a small water bottle at work for a full wash. That is better, but not required.

Can I use a bidet or a shattaf (hand spray)?

Yes. It is water, and that is the best way to clean. Use your left hand to clean while the water runs. Try not to splash dirty water onto your clothes.

The toilet in my home faces the qibla. Do I have to change it?

No. Most scholars allow it inside a building. If you can, turn your body a little to the side. If you ever rebuild the bathroom, place the toilet sideways to the qibla.

Can I take my phone into the toilet if it has a Quran app?

Yes. A phone is not a mushaf. Keep it in your pocket, or at least do not have the Quran open on the screen while you are inside.

I keep feeling drops after wudu. Do I redo it every time?

Only if you are sure something came out. If it is just a feeling, ignore it. Sprinkle a little water on your underwear after istinja, and stop checking.

How do I teach my young child?

Keep it simple and kind: Bismillah, the left hand, wash with water, wash hands with soap, and the dua when coming out. Children copy what they see, so let them see you do it.

I am a new Muslim. Do I have to change how I use the toilet?

The only must is to be clean: no urine or stool left on you before salah. The rest, like the duas and using the left hand, are good manners you can learn bit by bit.