How Can I Overcome My Difficulties in Cleaning Myself in the Toilets?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Usually, when I pass stool, urine exits. Usually, after urinating, there is some urine at the tip of the private part, I use water to clean it, but this water also goes downwards a bit on my backside because I also use my hand to wash my anus after passing stool, so that if there’s urine still at the tip of the private organ I need to remove by doing istibra’ but beforehand I wash it a bit, but now when pouring water on my private organ I’m also washing the back passage after finishing stool, so will the water be impure and my back passage be impure since the urine is mixed with the water or not. Usually, I don’t know, but I’m sure that urine never ceases at this given moment, so will the water be najis, especially if I’m using it to clean my bum?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Don’t overcomplicate things.

The Prophet (God bless him) stated, “None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him. So, aim for what is right, stick to the moderate way (…).” [Bukhari]

First, finish urinating and defecating fully. Don’t wash anything as long as you have not relieved yourself fully from both passages.

When this first step is completed, you can start washing your front private part, a washing called “istibra’” in Arabic.

After this washing, all the water present on your body is deemed pure. This includes the hand you have used to wash your front private part. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Of course, the water that has reached your rear uncleaned area is also impure. But this is not problematic because now has come the time to wash this area also, in a process called “istinja’” in Arabic.

After washing this rear area with water, you can deem your body free from any filth. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Please see these answers for more details:
How Should I Perform Istibra'(Removing Urine)?
Bathroom Issues: Using Toilet Paper & Removing Filth

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then, he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.