Question:
Assalamualaikum ustaz, I want to ask regarding taking ablution in the restroom. Is this permissible?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Ablution is a commandment for every mukallaf in minor hadas (impure state). While, if someone is in a major hadas, then he has to take an obligatory ghusl (bath) to purify himself. Syeikh Salim bin Sumair al-Hadhrami Rahimahullah said:
الأَحدَاثُ اثْنَان: أصْغَر وأكبَر فالأَصْغَرُ مَا أَوجَبَ الوُضُوء والأكْبَر مَا أوجَبَ الغسْل
“Hadas is divided into two: minor and major hadas. Minor hadas obligates ablution. Whereas, major hadas are matters that obligates a bath.” See Safinah al-Najah, Salim al-Hadhrami (pg.3)
The following we share a hadith that describes the obligatory bath of the Prophet PBUH. Ummu al-Mu’minin Aisyah R.Anha said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ، وَتَوَضَّأَ وُضُوءَهُ لِلصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ اغْتَسَلَ، ثُمَّ يُخَلِّلُ بِيَدِهِ شَعَرَهُ، حَتَّى إِذَا ظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ أَرْوَى بَشَرَتَهُ، أَفَاضَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ سَائِرَ جَسَدِهِ. وَقَالَتْ كُنْتُ أَغْتَسِلُ أَنَا وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ، صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ إِنَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ
"Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) took the bath of Janaba, he cleaned his hands and performed ablution like that for prayer and then took a bath and rubbed his hair, till he felt that the whole skin of the head had become wet, then he would pour water thrice and wash the rest of the body." `Aisha further said, "I and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to take a bath from a single water container, from which we took water simultaneously."
Sahih al-Bukhari (272)
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani Rahimahullah commented on the above hadith saying: In it (the hadith) is istihbab (sunnah) to complete one’s ablution before the obligatory bath. See Fath al-Bari, Ibn Hajar (1/427).
The above hadith also mentions the kaifiat (method) of obligatory bath from the Prophet PBUH, where the Prophet PBUH completes his ablution the same way as the ablution for prayer before the obligatory bath itself. Which means, the ablution is done in the same area like the bath, which is in the restroom, for the Prophet PBUH is performing the obligatory bath. Hence, this indicates the permissibility of taking ablution in restrooms.
We were together with al-Syeikh Dr Wahbah al-Zuhaili Rahimahullah, and he is inclined towards the suggestion that the place for ablution and restroom (excretion) should be separated. The reason is, it is so that the person would be able to avoid khilaf (differing opinions of scholars) and encouraged.
Conclusion
To close, we would like to state that taking ablution in restrooms is permissible. However, one should be careful to avoid any splashing of najis on one’s clothes or body. May Allah SWT give us a clear understanding of religion. Ameen.