Is My Wudu Invalidated by Merely Entering the Toilet?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Does wudu become invalid if we enter the toilet?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

No, your wudu won’t get invalidated by merely entering the toilet. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-idah]

The reason for this ruling is that no filth has exited your body. [Marghinani, Hidaya]

What Does Invalidate Wudu?

Your wudu will only be invalidated if:

(a) filth actually exits your body (for example, urinating); or

(b) filth legally exits your body (for example, sleeping on a bed).

There is an exception to this ruling. Wudu is invalidated for an adult laughing in a prayer containing prostrations even though no filth has exited his body. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Nonetheless, it is not farfetched to argue that someone laughing out loud while praying might very well be unaware of filth exiting his body. This is why Imam al-Zayla’i (may Allah be pleased with him) deems this situation not to be an exception to the general principle. For him, this is a case of filth legally exiting the body. [Zayla’i, Tabyin al-Haqa’iq]

You can see the details of what actually invalidates wudu here:

Could You Please List All the Nullifiers of Ablution According to the Hanafi school?

And Allah knows best.

[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.