Facing the Qibla while urinating is permissible only when there is a screen, wall, or barrier in front. The related Ahadith are as follows:
Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إِذَا أَتَیْتُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلاَ تَسْتَقْبِلُوا القِبْلَۃَ، وَلاَ تَسْتَدْبِرُوہَا وَلٰکِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا، قَالَ أَبُو أَیُّوبَ : فَقَدِمْنَا الشَّأْمَ فَوَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِیضَ بُنِیَتْ قِبَلَ الْقِبْلَۃِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ، وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّٰہَ تَعَالٰی .
“(O people of Madinah!) When relieving yourself, face the Qibla, not your back to it; rather, turn towards the east or west.” Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub رضي الله عنه said: We went to the area of Sham, where the bathrooms faced the Qibla. We would turn our faces away from the Qibla and say ‘Astaghfirullah’.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi رضي الله عنه:
قِیلَ لَہ، : قَدْ عَلَّمَکُمْ نَبِیُّکُمْ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ کُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّی الْخِرَاء َۃَ قَالَ : فَقَالَ : أَجَلْ لَقَدْ نَہَانَا أَنْ نَّسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَۃَ لِغَائِطٍ، أَوْ بَوْلٍ، أَوْ أَنْ نَّسْتَنْجِيَ بِالْیَمِینِ، أَوْ أَنْ نَّسْتَنْجِيَ بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاثَۃِ أَحْجَارٍ، أَوْ أَنْ نَّسْتَنْجِيَ بِرَجِیعٍ أَوْ بِعَظْمٍ .
“They were told that your Prophet teaches you everything, even the rules of relieving oneself. Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Yes, indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade us from sitting facing the Qibla for relieving oneself, using the right hand, using fewer than three stones, and cleaning oneself with a bone or a piece of leather.”
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إِذَا جَلَسَ أَحَدُکُمْ عَلٰی حَاجَتِہٖ، فَلَا یَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَۃَ، وَلَا یَسْتَدْبِرْہَا .
“No one should face the Qibla or turn their back towards it when relieving themselves.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) used to say:
إِنَّ نَاسًا یَّقُولُونَ : إِذَا قَعَدْتَّ عَلٰی حَاجَتِکَ فَلاَ تَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَۃَ وَلاَ بَیْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللّٰہِ بْنُ عُمَرَ : لَقَدِ ارْتَقَیْتُ یَوْمًا عَلٰی ظَہْرِ بَیْتٍ لَّنَا، فَرَأَیْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلٰی لَبِنَتَیْنِ، مُسْتَقْبِلًا بَّیْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ لِحَاجَتِہٖ .
“People say that one cannot face the Kaaba or Bayt al-Maqdis while relieving oneself, but I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the roof of my house relieving himself while facing Bayt al-Maqdis.”
In one narration it is stated:
اِرْتَقَیْتُ فَوْقَ ظَہْرِ بَیْتِ حَفْصَۃَ لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِي، فَرَأَیْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ یَقْضِي حَاجَتَہ، مُسْتَدْبِرَ الْقِبْلَۃِ، مُسْتَقْبِلَ الشَّأْمِ .
“For some purpose, I climbed onto the roof of Sayyida Hafsa رضي الله عنها‘s house. I saw that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was relieving himself facing the evening and with his back towards the Qibla.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما responded to those who considered it impermissible to urinate facing the Qibla because they themselves had seen the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم urinating facing the Qibla. While Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنه was aware of the hadith prohibiting this, he had not witnessed the practice of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and therefore he said:
مَا أَصْنَعُ بِہٰذِہِ الْکَرَابِیسِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا ذَہَبَ أَحَدُکُمُ الْغَائِطَ أَوِ الْبَوْلَ فَلَا تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَۃَ أَوْ قَالَ الْکَعْبَۃَ بِفَرْجٍ .
“What should I do with those bathrooms? Whereas I have heard the exalted statement of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم that no one should face the Qibla while relieving themselves.”
Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari رضي الله عنهما narrates:
کَانَ رَسُولُ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ نَہَانَا أَنْ نَّسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَۃَ وَنَسْتَدْبِرَہَا بِفُرُوجِنَا لِلْبَوْلِ، ثُمَّ رَأَیْتُہ، قَبْلَ مَوْتِہٖ بِعَامٍ یَّبُولُ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَۃِ .
“The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade us from urinating facing or turning our back to the Qiblah. Then I saw him, peace be upon him, urinating facing the Qiblah one year before his death.”
This hadith has been declared “Sahih” by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (58), Imam Ibn Hibban (1420), and Imam Ibn al-Jarood (31). Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, said it is “Sahih according to Imam Muslim’s condition,” Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, agreed with him, and Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said it is “Hasan.”
also declared the chain “Hasan.” Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, said about its narrators:
کُلُّھُمْ ثِقَاتٌ . “All the narrators are trustworthy.”
Sulaiman bin Ziyad al-Misri narrates:
دَخَلْنَا عَلٰی عَبْدِ اللّٰہِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ جَزْءٍ الزُّبَیْدِيِّ فِي یَوْمِ جُمُعَۃٍ، فَدَعَا بِطَسْتٍ، وَقَالَ لِلْجَارِیَۃِ : اسْتُرِینِي، فَسَتَرَتْہ، فَبَالَ فِیہِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ یَنْہٰی أَنْ یَّبُولَ أَحَدُکُمْ مُّسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَۃِ .
“One Friday, we went to the presence of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Harith bin Juz’i Zubaidi, may Allah be pleased with him. He ordered a curtain and told a girl to cover him; she covered him. Then he urinated in that vessel and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbid urinating facing the Qiblah.”
Jurisprudential Explanation
According to these hadiths, most hadith scholars interpret the prohibition of urinating while facing the Qiblah as applicable to desert conditions. If there is a curtain or a wall, then it is permissible. It can also be said that this prohibition is a form of disliked act (makruh tanzihi), because it is also established that the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself urinated while facing the Qiblah.
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, established a chapter on this topic:
بَابٌ : لَا تُسْتَقْبَلُ الْقِبْلَۃُ بِغَائِطٍ أَوْ بَوْلٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الْبَنَائِ، جِدَارٍ أَوْ نَحْوِہٖ .
“The statement that one should not face the Qiblah while relieving oneself, except when there is a building such as a wall or similar to block the view.”
The commentator of Sahih Muslim, Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631-676 AH), writes:
“The hadiths that prohibit urinating facing the Qibla should be applied in the desert, and among the scholars, it is an established matter that when it is possible to apply the hadiths, it is not permissible to leave them. It is obligatory to act upon all hadiths, and the same principle applies here. The emphasis on not urinating facing the Qibla in buildings is due to hardship, whereas this issue does not exist in the desert.”
The commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
“The majority of scholars hold the position that there is a difference between urinating facing the Qibla in a building and in the desert. Imam Malik, Shafi’i, and Ishaq bin Rahwayah hold this same position, and this view is more moderate because it applies all the evidences.”
Warning Number 1:
Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates:
ذُکِرَ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ قَوْمٌ یَّکْرَہُونَ أَنْ یَّسْتَقْبِلُوا بِفُرُوجِہِمُ الْقِبْلَۃَ، فَقَالَ : أُرَاہُمْ قَدْ فَعَلُوہَا، اسْتَقْبِلُوا بِمَقْعَدَتِي الْقِبْلَۃَ .
“It was mentioned to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that a people consider it forbidden to urinate facing the Qibla. He (peace be upon him) said: They must be doing it like that; you should turn your back to the Qibla.”
Commentary:
The chain of narration is weak.
Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
خَالِدُ بْنُ أبِي صَلْتٍ عَنْ عِرَاکٍ مُّرْسَلٌ .
“The narration from Khalid ibn Abu Sulayt from ‘Iraq is mursal (interrupted).”
Khalid ibn Abu Sulayt is an “unknown” narrator; except for Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him)
, no one authenticated him.
Hafiz al-Andalus, Allama Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وَأَمَّا حَدِیثُ عَائِشَۃَ فَہُوَ سَاقِطٌ….خَالِدِ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ وَہُوَ مَجْہُولٌ لَّا یُدْرٰی مَنْ ہُوَ .
“This hadith narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is weak…. Khalid ibn Abu Sulayt is an unknown narrator, there is no trace of him!”
Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لَا یَکَادُ یُعْرَفُ .
“It is not possible to identify him.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar called him “maqbul” (acceptable) but unknown.
This narration is “disconnected” because Iraaq’s transmission from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is not established. Imam Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him)
has classified this narration as “Mursal.” Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) holds the same view; he also denies that Iraaq heard directly from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). In the narration where Iraaq explicitly states he heard it, the narrator Ali ibn Asim Al-Wasiti is “weak.”
In Sunan al-Daraqutni
, there is a chain ‘Khalid al-Hadha from a man from Iraaq,’ where the “man” between Khalid al-Hadha and Iraaq is Khalid ibn Abu Sulayt. Khalid did not explicitly state that he heard from Iraaq. This is a type of ‘additional in connected chains,’ therefore the chain is “weak.”
Warning Number 2:
Marwan Asfar (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
رَأَیْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ أَنَاخَ رَاحِلَتَہ، مُستَقبِلَ الْقِبْلَۃِ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ یَبُولُ إِلَیْہَا، فَقُلْتُ : یَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمٰنِ، أَلَیْسَ قَدْ نُہِيَ عَنْ ہٰذَا؟ قَالَ : بَلٰی، إِنَّمَا نُہِيَ عَنْ ذٰلِکَ فِي الْفَضَاءِ ، فَإِذَا کَانَ بَیْنَکَ وَبَیْنَ الْقِبْلَۃِ شَيْءٌ یَّسْتُرُکَ فَلَا بَأْسَ .
“I saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) turn his she-camel towards the Qiblah and then urinate facing it. I asked: Abu Abdur Rahman! (the kunya of Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them) Is it not forbidden to urinate facing the Qiblah? He replied: Why not, but this prohibition is in open fields; when there is some cover in between, there is no harm.”
Commentary:
The chain of narration is weak.
Hasan bin Zakwan is a “Mudallis” (one who conceals the source), and the hearing is not clarified.
This hadith has been declared “Sahih” by Imam Ibn Al-Jarood
, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah
, and Imam Darqutni
. Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Sahih according to Imam Bukhari’s conditions”
, and Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) agreed with him.
Allama Hazmi (may Allah have mercy on him) classified it as “Hasan”
.
Conclusion:
If there is a wall or curtain in front, there is no harm in urinating facing the Qibla. This is the view of most of the early Imams, and some narrations also support this view. And Allah knows best!
