What to Say in the Restroom

Continuing in Al Wajiz, the chapters that we have finished are the chapters of hygiene and purification. Now, the author takes us into something that is closely related to both, and oftentimes it is mentioned in this place in the books of Hadith, most popularly, due to the fact that it is closely connected to both of these topics. And that is the topic of Adab al-Khala. The etiquettes of relieving oneself, and the etiquettes of using what we would refer to as the restroom, or using what we would refer to as the place of relieving oneself.

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So, first, the author tells us that it is preferred that for an individual who wishes to relieve himself, that when they enter the area that they are going to the general area that they're going to relieve themself in, they say bi bismillah that they say bismillah, "Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you from evil and its souls.".

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Narrations. The first narration is the narration of Ali ibn Abi Talib in which the author will mention. And the second is the narration of Anas. Because when a person is going to enter into an area where he's going to relieve himself, there's two things that have to happen here. Number one, the person has to eventually expose his private parts or hers. And second, the person is going to go into that very vulnerable act of relieving oneself. The human being is prime real estate. The human being is the subject of the wars that take place in the heavens and on earth. All this for the soul and the heart of the human being. So, the human being is surrounded constantly by enemies, enemies of humankind, enemies of jinnkind. Now, the enemies of jinnkind, we do not see them. We cannot see them. We cannot hear them. We cannot speak to them, but they can see us, and they can hear us. And this places us at a disadvantage. And so, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala levels that playing field by promising that if we seek refuge in him, subhanahu wa ta'ala, he will grant us a momentary refuge. Momentary refuge. Is the person ever going to be done with the shaytan? Not as long as a person's on this earth. Every human being, even the prophets and messengers, except for Maryam and Isa alayhima as-salam. They are the only two that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had completely and entirely protected from a shaytan to the point where they were not even interfered with by a shaytan, and this is one of the miracles that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave to Isa alayhissalam. Otherwise, the sworn enemy of the human being is a shaytan. A shaytan A shaytan here meaning Iblis, and a shaytan meaning the devils, the devil kind. Right? And so, a person is only given momentary reprieve from a shaytan. Well, when a person says, "A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem." It is momentary. It is limited. It's not forever. That is your enemy. That is the that is the one that you are to strive and struggle against and in that struggle you will find your own definition. And so these two things that are taking place. A person is exposing himself. Second of all, a person is in a vulnerable state of relieving himself and relieving himself and not able to remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala during this very vulnerable time. And so first we have the narration of Ali ibn Abi Talib, which is in As-Sunan in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam says satru ma bayna a'yunil jinn.

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Bani Adam idha dakhala ahaduhumul khala'a an yaqula bismillah. The barrier, the veil between the private parts of the human being and the eyes of the jinn is that the person say bismillah. So when a person says bismillah, this conceals his or her private parts. Now notice here how these are two different narrations. This narration isn't specific for relieving oneself. This is for any time a person is to expose his or her private parts. Any time a person is to expose his or her private parts, they say what? Bismillah. They say bismillah. The next is the narration of Anas who narrates that the messenger of Allah.

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Anas narrates that the messenger of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when he would go to relieve himself, he would say, "Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you from the from evil and its souls or I seek refuge in you from the male and female devils.".

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And notice here how the author says "Idha dakhala al-khala'." What is al-khala'? alaihi wasallam in his time well, not just his time, but his region. Did they have bathrooms? Did they have outhouses? Did they have like a little restroom where a person would go and open the door and go inside and close the door behind them and there's a sink there where he could wash his hands and then a place to use the bathroom and you know, maybe there's a bidet there or maybe there's a shower sitting right there. No, this is not what al al al khala looked like. Al khala was an area designated by the townsfolk that they would all go to use to relieve themselves or if you're traveling, any opportune area where a person could achieve some kind of privacy when they would wish to relieve himself. This is what al khala is and al khala men al khulu. Al khala is taken from the root word al khulu which is for a place to be empty. So, it's referred to as al khala meaning the person is going to the place that is empty that is private. Why are they going to the private place to do private things, right? To relieve oneself. And so, there's no door or threshold that here I'm outside of the bathroom and here I've crossed over into the bathroom. No. It's whenever he would go to the place where he's chosen, this is the place where I'm going to relieve myself and then just as a person would go to it's open to the outdoors, right? And then just as the person would go to uncover his hour they say bismillah and just as they go to sit or assume a position of of you know, relieving oneself they say.

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Al-khubthi wal-khaba'ith. This is when a person would say this. Now, why is this point important? What we'll come to learn is that saying bismillah for instance before making wudu this is the least case the sunnah and the most case it is a condition of a person's wudu being valid. So, many scholars have viewed it as being obligatory. Now, a lot of times in our culture and our modern world that we live in the bathroom and the restroom are one. When I say the bathroom, the place where the bath takes place, place where the water is. Bathroom in Arabic is al-hammam. Okay? Meaning al-hamim, makan al-hamim, al-ma' al-har. And the restroom, which is al-khala. And so, these are in the same place. If you want to wash your hands, you got to go to the same place that you relieve yourself. If you want to relieve yourself, you got to go to the same place where you would, make wudu oftentimes. Right? And so, if a person what are the parameters of the area where you are not to say bismillah at? Right? Is that right next to the toilets? Is that the entire place region that is called the bathroom? No. It is right at the toilet. That is where it is considered to be makruh. At at most, it is strongly dispraised that a person mention Allah's name. But when a person is by the sinks, you know, let's say a public bathroom, there are stalls. Those stalls that is al-khala. That is the restroom, shara'an. And the sinks, this is the place where people come to wash up. This is not the place where a person is to not say Allah's name. Right? Those are the parameters.

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And finally, when a person is concluded, finished, and they leave the area of al-khala, it is preferred that a person say ghufranak.

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Of you know, what we would refer to as the restroom, they would say, "Ghufranak." Which directly translates to, "Oh Allah, I seek from you your pardon and forgiveness." And this is due to the narration of Aisha in which she narrates that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, when he would conclude and leave the area of relieving himself, he would say, "Ghufranak." It's just one word, "Ghufranak." Now, there are other narrations for entering the restroom. All of them are weak outside of the two that we mentioned. The narration of Anas and the.

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Inni audhubika min al-khubthi wal-khabaith. No other narration is authentic in that regard. And there are other narrations for dua to be made once a person leaves the restroom area. And that is "Ghufranak." And that is the only authentic narration in that regard. All other narrations in that regard, in that meaning, are inauthentic, such as "Ghufranak,.

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Alhamdulillah alladhi adhhaba anni al- al-adha.

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Adhhaba anni al- Alhamdulillah led the alpha near men Jack the real yacht and the Nabi Sallallahu alaihi wasallam What can he mean I used to tell the wife of her? the wife of her When he has a shower and he Sallallahu alaihi wasallam call you Goff run it. Kelly man why he that? And so the only authentic the kid when a person goes to enter the restroom is along with me out of the back of the hood fee with her back it or to say I will hold the fee with her back it. Both have been narrated. And the only authentic remembrance when a person is concluded is to say Goff run it. That's all Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala be many with her with you that I live in a mine found and in found a man I live in a mine you see that and I am a Allah Allah Allah Allah Allah.