◈ 9 Prohibited Items for Istinjāʼ According to Hadith ◈
Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 297
What are the items that are not permissible to use for istinjāʼ (purification after relieving oneself)?
According to authentic narrations, the following items must not be used for istinjāʼ:
① Bones
② Dung of animals
③ Excrement (goat droppings, etc.)
④ Coal
⑤ Edible items
⑥ Right hand
⑦ Valuable items (e.g., cloth, possessions)
⑧ Papers with Qur’anic verses, Hadith, or Islamic knowledge
⑨ Items that are food for jinn (such as bones and dung)
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Do not use dung or bones for istinjāʼ, for they are the food of your jinn brethren.”
– Tirmidhī (1/11), Nasā’ī (1/16), Mishkāt (1/42)
Narration of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"I am like a father to you. When you go to relieve yourselves, do not face the Qiblah or turn your back to it. Use three stones for istinjāʼ and do not use dung or bones. Also, do not use your right hand for istinjāʼ.”
– Ibn Mājah (1/114), Dāramī (1/138), Mishkāt (1/42)
Narration of Rufayʿ ibn Thābit رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever uses animal dung or excrement for istinjāʼ, then Muḥammad ﷺ is free from him.”
– Abū Dāwūd (1/6), Mishkāt (1/43)
Narration from Abū Dāwūd and Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
A delegation of jinn came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
"Command your ummah not to use dung, bones, or coal for istinjāʼ, for Allah has made these our sustenance.”
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the use of these items for istinjāʼ.
Cloth is an item of respect and its use for istinjāʼ is a waste of resources.
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited wasting wealth.
If using food of the jinn for istinjāʼ is forbidden, then using human food is even more strictly forbidden.
✔ Tissue paper, being made for this specific purpose, is permissible for istinjāʼ.
✘ However, papers containing:
➊ Qur'anic verses
➋ Hadith
➌ Beneficial Islamic knowledge
must not be used, as this would constitute:
Conduct of Scholars:
Shams al-A’immah رحمه الله would show reverence even to blank sheets of paper.
✔ Using stones or clumps of earth is permissible.
✔ Using water is also valid.
✘ Using water alone is not an absolute requirement.
Some believe istinjāʼ must be done only with water, which is incorrect:
✔ Using stones for istinjāʼ is established in Sunnah.
✘ Relying solely on water without acknowledging this Sunnah shows lack of awareness of Qur’an and Sunnah.
There is scholarly difference on this:
Some argue that using both together is excessiveness, stating:
🗸 The Prophet ﷺ and the Companions would use either stones or only water.
Some cite the verse revealed about the people of Qubāʼ:
﴿فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ﴾
(Al-Tawbah: 108)
But...
Imām Nawawī and Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar declared the ḥadīth about combining stone and water as weak.
Imām Ibn Kathīr also deemed it weak in Tafsīr Sūrah al-Tawbah (2/390).
Abū Dāwūd (Ḥadīth No. 45):
Narration from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ would go to relieve himself, water would be brought to him, and he would perform istinjāʼ, rub his hand on the ground, and then perform wuḍū.
Narration in Ṣaḥīḥayn from Anas رضي الله عنه:
I and another boy would carry a water vessel and spear for the Prophet ﷺ, and he would perform istinjāʼ using water.
These prove that the Prophet ﷺ used water. He may have first used stones, which were not observed due to his extreme modesty.
✔ Using stones and water together is permissible.
However, many of the supporting narrations are weak.
✔ Authentic narrations primarily establish the use of water alone.
✘ Mention of stones is often not present in such reports.
Therefore, one must adopt a cautious view regarding the combination of stones and water for istinjāʼ.
Allāh knows best what is correct.
Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 297
❖ Question:
What are the items that are not permissible to use for istinjāʼ (purification after relieving oneself)?
① List of Prohibited Items for Istinjāʼ:
According to authentic narrations, the following items must not be used for istinjāʼ:
① Bones
② Dung of animals
③ Excrement (goat droppings, etc.)
④ Coal
⑤ Edible items
⑥ Right hand
⑦ Valuable items (e.g., cloth, possessions)
⑧ Papers with Qur’anic verses, Hadith, or Islamic knowledge
⑨ Items that are food for jinn (such as bones and dung)
② Evidence from Aḥādīth
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Do not use dung or bones for istinjāʼ, for they are the food of your jinn brethren.”
– Tirmidhī (1/11), Nasā’ī (1/16), Mishkāt (1/42)
Narration of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"I am like a father to you. When you go to relieve yourselves, do not face the Qiblah or turn your back to it. Use three stones for istinjāʼ and do not use dung or bones. Also, do not use your right hand for istinjāʼ.”
– Ibn Mājah (1/114), Dāramī (1/138), Mishkāt (1/42)
Narration of Rufayʿ ibn Thābit رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever uses animal dung or excrement for istinjāʼ, then Muḥammad ﷺ is free from him.”
– Abū Dāwūd (1/6), Mishkāt (1/43)
Narration from Abū Dāwūd and Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
A delegation of jinn came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
"Command your ummah not to use dung, bones, or coal for istinjāʼ, for Allah has made these our sustenance.”
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the use of these items for istinjāʼ.
③ Using Cloth or Valuables for Istinjāʼ
Cloth is an item of respect and its use for istinjāʼ is a waste of resources.
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited wasting wealth.If using food of the jinn for istinjāʼ is forbidden, then using human food is even more strictly forbidden.
④ Ruling on Tissues and Paper
✔ Tissue paper, being made for this specific purpose, is permissible for istinjāʼ.
✘ However, papers containing:
➊ Qur'anic verses
➋ Hadith
➌ Beneficial Islamic knowledge
must not be used, as this would constitute:
- Wastefulness (iḍāʿat al-māl)
- Disrespect for sacred knowledge
Conduct of Scholars:Shams al-A’immah رحمه الله would show reverence even to blank sheets of paper.
⑤ Methods of Istinjāʼ
✔ Using stones or clumps of earth is permissible.
✔ Using water is also valid.
✘ Using water alone is not an absolute requirement.
⑥ Common Misconception
Some believe istinjāʼ must be done only with water, which is incorrect:
✔ Using stones for istinjāʼ is established in Sunnah.
✘ Relying solely on water without acknowledging this Sunnah shows lack of awareness of Qur’an and Sunnah.
⑦ Combining Stone and Water for Istinjāʼ
There is scholarly difference on this:
Some argue that using both together is excessiveness, stating:
🗸 The Prophet ﷺ and the Companions would use either stones or only water.
⑧ Verse & Hadith Used as Evidence
Some cite the verse revealed about the people of Qubāʼ:
﴿فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ﴾
(Al-Tawbah: 108)
But...
Imām Nawawī and Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar declared the ḥadīth about combining stone and water as weak. Imām Ibn Kathīr also deemed it weak in Tafsīr Sūrah al-Tawbah (2/390).⑨ Authentic Narrations on Water Usage
Abū Dāwūd (Ḥadīth No. 45):
Narration from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ would go to relieve himself, water would be brought to him, and he would perform istinjāʼ, rub his hand on the ground, and then perform wuḍū.
Narration in Ṣaḥīḥayn from Anas رضي الله عنه:
I and another boy would carry a water vessel and spear for the Prophet ﷺ, and he would perform istinjāʼ using water.
These prove that the Prophet ﷺ used water. He may have first used stones, which were not observed due to his extreme modesty.❖ Conclusion
✔ Using stones and water together is permissible.
However, many of the supporting narrations are weak.✔ Authentic narrations primarily establish the use of water alone.
✘ Mention of stones is often not present in such reports.
Therefore, one must adopt a cautious view regarding the combination of stones and water for istinjāʼ.Allāh knows best what is correct.
