Question:
What do the scholars and experts of shari’ah say regarding a person entering the washroom? What should be read at this time?
Answer:
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ would enter the washroom he would recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الخُبُثِ وَالخَبَائِثِ
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil and vicious things (Bukhari & Muslim)
Imam Shirazi al-Shafi’i has written in ‘Al-Tanbih’: “When a person enters the washroom, he should remove any item he possesses which has the name of Allah written on it. He should enter the washroom with his left foot and leave with his right. Upon entering he should recite the following prayer: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil and vicious things.”
Imam Ibn Qudama al-Hanbali has written in his book ‘Al-Sharh al-Kabir ‘ala matn al-Muqni’: It is mustahab to recite bismillah whilst entering the washroom. Sayyiduna Ali narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that the barrier between the jinn and and nakedness of a person is reciting bismillah whilst entering the washroom (Ibn Majah). Then a person should recite, O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil and vicious things. This has been narrated from Sayyiduna Anas regarding the Noble Prophet ﷺ.”
And Allah ﷻ knows the best
This fatwa is written by Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Munir Al-Azhari
