Taahir and the Toilet

Ask our children:

1. Does Islam teach us how to use the toilet?
2. Why is istinjaa and cleanliness important in Islam?

Now tell them the story:

Taahir was very excited as he went to madrasah. Yesterday, before they went home, Moulana had told them that today’s lesson would be a little different. He wondered what Moulana would teach them!

Moulana arrived at madrasah, made salaam to the class, and sat down in his place. After sitting, Moulana addressed the children and said, “Children! Islam is the most perfect, beautiful and clean religion, and it is the only religion accepted by Allah Ta‘ala! Our beloved Rasul (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was sent by Allah Ta‘ala to this world to teach us how to live as Muslims. He taught us the most clean and beautiful way to do everything, according to the sunnah, so that we can obey and please Allah Ta‘ala at all times. When a Muslim does everything in the sunnah way, then every action of his is special, filled with noor and gains him reward from Allah Ta‘ala.”

Moulana then said, “Among the important teachings of Islam are the teachings regarding how we should go to the toilet. Who can tell me some of the important points which relate to going to the toilet?”

Taahir put up his hand and said, “I know Moulana! Before going to the toilet, you must make sure that your head is covered and feet are covered. A girl must wear her scarf, a boy must wear his topi, and they must both wear shoes or sandals.” Moulana was happy and said, “Very good! What else?”

Salmaan put his hand up and said, “Moulana! Before entering, you must recite the dua, and you must enter with the left foot – not the right foot.” Once again, Moulana said, “Very good!” Then, Moulana asked, “Who knows the dua to recite before entering the toilet?”

Ahmed responded this time. After putting up his hand, he recited:

بِسْمِ اللهِ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثْ

Moulana was happy and said, “Masha Allah! I hope you are reading this dua before entering the toilet, and not just in class when I ask you!” Ahmed replied, “Definitely Moulana! Alhamdulillah, I always recite the dua!”

Next, Moulana said, “Some of the other important points are that we must not face the qiblah in the toilet, and our backs must not be towards the qiblah. If the toilet is facing the qiblah, or the back of the toilet is towards the qiblah, then when we use this toilet, we must turn a little to the side so that our face or back is not towards the qiblah. Also, we must not talk in the toilet.”

Hearing this, Suhail asked, “Moulana! But what if someone makes salaam from outside the toilet? Can we reply? Or what if we sneeze! Can we read the sneezing dua?” Moulana replied, “No Suhail! No making salaam, reading duas or speaking in the toilet!”

Suhail said, “Moulana! Some boys in my school always ask other boys for some of their lunch, but when they bring their own lunch, then they don’t like to share, so they hide in the toilet and eat their lunch in the toilet!” Moulana was disgusted and said, “Sies! How can they eat food in the toilet? That is disgusting! Also, they should have the heart to share, especially since they always take food from other boys.”

Next Moulana said, “We must always sit and use the toilet. We must never stand and pass urine.” Luqmaan said, “Moulana! In my school, some of the boys stand at the urinals and pass urine!” Moulana said, “This is very bad! One problem is that they are not sitting, but even worse is to use the urinal and stand where everyone can see you! A Muslim must not go toilet in the open, where people can see him. This is shameless and haraam! He must go into the toilet and close the door so that nobody can see him!”

Thereafter, Moulana said, “Urine is dirty. It is najis, which means impure and napaak. We must be very careful when using the toilet to make sure that no urine splashes onto us. If a person uses a urinal, then he will become messed, his clothes will become messed, and this goes against the teaching of Islam. There is severe warning in the Hadith that those who are not careful about urine splashes will be punished in the grave.

“That is why we are taught in deen that we should use the low pan toilet, as it does not splash. After we are finished, we must wash ourselves properly with water. For this, we must make sure that the water jug is full before using the toilet, in case there is no water in the tap. When cleaning ourselves, we must use the left hand – not the right hand. Before leaving the toilet, we must flush the dirt away and make sure that we leave the toilet clean and tidy – not dirty and messy. If we leave it dirty, we will cause inconvenience to the next person who wants to use the toilet.”

Arshad said, “Jee Moulana! My father told me that I must always spray the toilet with air freshener after I use it, otherwise nobody else can use it!” Moulana laughed, and then asked, “Who can tell me how we should leave the toilet?”

Waseem answered and said, “We must leave with the right foot first, and after coming out, we must recite the dua. The dua is:

غُفْرَانَكَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ أَذْهَبَ عَنِّيْ الْأَذٰى وَعَافَانِيْ

Finally, Moulana said, “If a person goes to the toilet and he relieves himself in the sunnat way, and he saves himself from being messed with urine or stool, then when he makes wudhu and performs salaah, his salaah will be accepted. But, if he is messed with urine and stool, then his salaah will not be accepted. That is why it is so important for us to be careful and particular when going to the toilet, to make sure that we are completely clean. Allah Ta‘ala loves those who are clean. If we are clean people, Allah Ta‘ala will love us, and He will accept our salaah and other ibaadaat.”

Lessons:

1. Islam has taught us the most perfect, beautiful and clean way to live our lives. Islam has taught us how to go to the toilet in a way that is clean and respectable. We must try to follow all the sunnats and teachings of Islam when using the toilet.
2. Urine is dirty, and getting splashed with urine in the toilet causes one to get punished in the grave. Also, if we are dirty with urine or stool, then our salaah and other ibaadaat will not be accepted by Allah Ta‘ala. We must try to be clean at all times, because Allah Ta‘ala loves those who are clean.