Islam Under Scrutiny by Ex-Muslims

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Islamic Voodoo

Chapter 15

The Toilet Voodoos

 

Like or not, toilet protocols, as prescribed in Islam, are mandatory to all Muslims. Non‑Muslims might loathe reading this episode on Islamic toilet voodoo, as it contains obnoxious, tasteless, indecent, and uncivil manners and customs, largely followed by desert Bedouins during Muhammad’s time. Lest we forget, Allah will never forgive a Muslim for deviating from His standard of Islamic toilet habits as demonstrated by Muhammad. 

First, let us focus on a few verses of the Qur'an where Allah says a Muslim must emulate Muhammad's manners, traditions, and practices at all time.

In verses 3:132 and 4:80 Allah says that obeying Him and Muhammad (i.e., Muhammad’s examples) is mandatory. This means Muslims have no choice but to follow Muhammad's deeds, as this constitutes the obeying the commands of Allah. A similar command is echoed in verse 33:36 where Allah stipulates that provisions (rules and examples, even toilet rules) set by Allah and Muhammad are binding to all Muslims; there are no alternatives. Ibn Kathir adds more punch to Allah’s command He writes that this verse is general in meaning and applies to all matters, i.e., if Allah and His Messenger decreed a matter, no one has the right to go against that, and no one has any choice or room for personal opinion on that case.

Allah decrees in verse 33:21 that He has made Muhammad an excellent example for the believers to follow and in verse 68:4 Allah reminds the Muslims that Muhammad is the exalted (ultimate/excellent) standard of character. Ibn Abbas says that Muhammad has great character traits with which Allah has honoured him.

Allah promises great rewards for emulating Muhammad's habits, manners, and instructions. In verse 33:71 Allah declares that obeying Allah and Muhammad are the highest achievements, and in verse 3:31 Allah sets a condition that if any Muslim loves Allah then he/she must follow Muhammad, and Allah will forgive his/her sins. Verse 4:13 guarantees paradise for those who blindly obey Muhammad.

Allah prescribes severe punishment for not emulating Muhammad. In verse 47:33 Allah says that if Muslims do not obey Muhammad, then He will nullify all their good deeds. In verse 48:13 we read that Allah has prepared a blazing fire for those who reject Him and his apostle Muhammad. In verse 58:5 Allah has decreed that those who reject Allah and His messenger (Muhammad) will be reduced to dust.

Here is what Ash Shifa (p.316) writes about imitating Muhammad absolutely:

It is also known that the Companions were in the habit of imitating the actions of the Prophet, whatever they were and in every way, just as they obeyed whatever he said. They threw away their signet rings when he threw his away. They discarded their sandals when he discarded his. They used as a proof for facing Jerusalem when going to the lavatory the fact that Ibn ‘Umar saw him doing so. Others found a proof for other actions both in the category of worship and general custom by saying, “I saw the Messenger of Allah do it.”

Once we acknowledge Allah’s dicta in the above paragraphs we will understand why the Muslims follow a few weird toilet manners, though those habits were the customs of the Arab Bedouins millennia ago. In Islam, there is no date‑of‑expiry of Muhammad’s traditions and practices‑they are eternal.

It is also important to keep in perspective the primitive toilet facilities in Muhammad's household. The truth is: Muhammad, including his wives, used to relieve themselves in the open desert, under the open sky. The males could defecate any time of the day or night, but Muhammad's wives were restricted to answer their calls of nature only at night. Described by a few ahadith, we have a glimpse of the abject toilet facilities in Muhammad's family. Here are a few examples:

  • Wives of Muhammad answered the call of nature in the open field...(Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.148, 149)
  • During Hajj some of Muhammad’s companions had their penises dripping with prostrate fluid… (Sunaan Abu Dawud, 2.10.1785)
  • When defecating together (two men) do not converse, do not look at each others private parts… (Sunaan ibn Majah, 1.342)
  • Carry three stones while relieving yourself in desert…(Mishkat, 1.186)

To be certain, let us read in full, one hadis from Sahih Bukhari:

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Number 148:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The wives of the Prophet used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'a the wife of the Prophet went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes).

The above hadis also tells us why Muhammad imposed veils on Islamic women.

We will now examine a few outstanding features of Islamic toilets.

Jinns and Devils Haunt Islamic Toilets

If we happen to be in an Islamic Paradise, we might be completely surprised that many Muslims still believe these Islamic voodoos. For example, if you are in a village in Bangladesh or Pakistan, you will come across with many devout Muslims who will vouch that they had seen jinns inside their primitive latrines. A few of them might even swear that the local Imam or an Islamic mendicant had been able to chase out jinns and devils from their toilets when the jinns or devils caught their women in the toilets. Note that it is usually the women (pretty ones) who fall victims to the jinns and devils residing in rural Islamic latrines.

Please do not laugh. If we were to believe the following ahadith then it is certainly true that Islamic toilets are the perennial abodes of jinns and devils.

In Sunaan Abu Dawud (1.0006) we read that toilets are frequented by jinns and devils. Sunaan ibn Majah (1.296) writes that devils visit public toilets.

Let us read in full the first hadis:

Sunaan Abu Dawud, Book 1, Number 0006:
Narrated Zayd ibn Arqam:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: These privies are frequented by the jinns and devils. So when anyone amongst you goes there, he should say: "I seek refuge in Allah from male and female devils."

Pray Before Entering an Islamic Toilet

Since jinns and devils visit Islamic toilets, Muhammad instructed his followers to offer prayer when entering a lavatory. We have already read a hadis on this. Here are a few more.
  • Pray when answering the call of nature…(Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.144)
  • When you enter a lavatory say, “O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from wicked and noxious things.”… (Sahih Muslim, 3.0729)
  • When entering a toilet, say a prayer: O’ Allah I seek refuge with you from all offensive and wicked things (evil deeds and evil spirits)… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.19)
  • To screen you from jinns, when visiting toilet say Bismillah… (Sunaan Tirmidhi, 130)

Do Not Hold Your Penis With Your Right Hand

Please do not be offended when you read this weird Islamic Toilet manner. In Islam, it is haram to hold your penis with your right hand when you defecate or urinate. Regarding your penis manner, while in an Islamic Toilet, there are many ahadith, in all the Sahih Sitta (the six authentic) on this specification of Allah. In many of these ahadith Muhammad (that is, Allah), specified that when inside a toilet one may use his left hand to hold his penis. We may wonder about women, I am yet to find a hadis where Allah has specified that women cannot hold (touch) their pudenda with their right hand. So we may assume that women are free to use either hand to cleanse themselves.

Here is a collection of a few interesting ahadith on Islamic manners of cleaning yourself in the toilet.

  • Do not breath while drinking water; do not touch penis in lavatory and do not cleanse private parts with your right hand... (Sahih Bukhari, 1. 4.155)
  • While urinating, do not hold penis with your right hand... (Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.156)
  • While in a toilet do not touch penis with your right hand… (Sahih Muslim, 2.0512)
  • While urinating or defecating do not touch your penis with your right hand… (Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.1.0031)
  • When urinating do not touch your penis with your right hand… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.24, 25)
  • Use left hand for private parts…(Mishkat, 1.185)
  • Do not touch male organ with right hand… (Mishkat, 1.183)
  • Use left hand for touching private parts… (Mishkat, 1.185)

Rules on Islamic Defecation

In the Qur'an there is very little or none about Allah’s stipulation on Islamic Toilet procedures. However, some Islamic scholars believe that Allah revealed verse 9:108 in connection with the proper method of cleaning oneself after defecating. Let us read verse 9:108 from the Qur'an and a hadis from Sunaan Abu Dawud:

9:108. Never stand you therein. Verily, the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety is more worthy that you stand therein (to pray). In it are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allâh loves those who make themselves clean and pure (i.e. who clean their private parts with dust [i.e. to be considered as soap) and water from urine and stools, after answering the call of nature] (Tr. Hilali and Khan).


Historical Ottomn toilets on display. Please note how the
they indicate the only correct position during defecation.

Please note that the translators have inserted their own comments. They are of the opinion that in Islamic ritual of defecating dust may be considered as soap.

Here is what a hadis says:

Sunaan Abu Dawud, Book 1, Number 0044:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The following verse was revealed in connection with the people of Quba': "In it are men who love to be purified" (ix.108). He (Abu Hurayrah) said: They used to cleanse themselves with water after easing. So the verse was revealed in connection with them.

One compulsory provision of Islamic toilet manner is that during defecation a Muslim must position himself in such a manner that neither his face (that is, penis or women’s vulva) nor his back (that is, buttock) should face the Qibla (Kaba). Muslims must obey this rule whether defecating in an open desert or inside a latrine in his house.

Here are a few ahadith on this:

  • While defecating in the open space neither face nor turn your back towards Qibla (Kaba); instead, face the east or the west… (Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.146)
  • While excreting or urinating do not face the Qibla…(Sahih Muslim, 2.0504)
  • When defecating in the desert do not face Qibla nor turn your backside towards Qibla; use three sods and your right hand to cleanse your private parts… (Sunaan Tirmidhi, 128)
  • While defecating do not face or show backside to Allah… (Mishkat, 1.185)

Interestingly, Muhammad, at times, had violated Allah’s rules. Here is the proof:

  • Muhammad urinated by turning his face towards the Qibla…(Sunaan ibn Majah, 1.325)
  • Muhammad defecated facing Jerusalem… (Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.147)
 

Qibla compass comes handy when you are
forced  to defecate in an open desert etc.

Muhammad stipulated that if you wear a ring, you must remove it when going inside a toilet. True to this funny Islamic Toilet protocol, a hadis in Sunaan Abu Dawud (1.0019) and Sunaan ibn Majah (1.3033) state that Muhammad used to remove his ring when visiting a toilet.

Another interesting hadis in Sahih Muslim (7.2942) says that a Muslim can defecate in a river. In this case there might not be any necessity to cleanse his anus, as river water will do the job. Curiously, a hadis in Sunaan Nasai (1.50, 51) says that having defecated, and having

cleansed yourself, you should rub two hands on earth.

Here are a few more interesting ahadith on defecating in Islamic manner:

  • After defecating do not use bones or dung; use stones to cleanse yourself… (Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.157)
  • Use odd number of stones (minimum three) to clean your private parts... (Sahih Bukhari, 1. 4.162)
  • Use three stones to clean yourself after defecating... (Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.0040)
  • When visiting a toilet carry three stones with you… (Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.1.0040)
  • After you defecate, use two clods of earth; do not use dung… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.42)
  • If you defecate in a desert use three stones, no need to use water… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.44)

Rules on Islamic Urination

If we are confounded with bizarre Islamic rules on defecating, here are more rules on urinating Islamically.

 

Muslim youth uses his mobile telephone to take a picture of
his friend urinating (STANDING) on the ruins  of St. George
church in the southern Kosovo town of Prizren

  1. Do not urinate in stagnant water… (Sunaan ibn Majah, 1.343)

  2. Do not urinate standing; Umar did that but Muhammad reprobated him… (Sunaan Tirmidhi, 133)

  3. At night you may urinate in a vessel… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.32)

  4. At night Muhammad used to urinate on a wooden vessel... (Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.0024)

  5. Do not urinate in a hole… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.34)

  6. Urinate in a soft ground… (Mishkat, 1.185)

  7. Do not urinate in a place of bath and then take bath there… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.36)

  8. Do not return salutation when you are urinating… (Sunaan Nasai, 1.37)

  9. After urinating sprinkle water on your private parts. (Sunaan Nasai, 1.136, 137)

As was often the case, Muhammad had violated his own rules on urination.

  • Muhammad urinated standing...(Sahih Bukhari, 1. 4.226)
  • Muhammad had urinated standing…(Sunaan ibn Majah, 1.305

Islamic Bathing Rules

Here are a few interesting rules on Islamic bath (ghusl):

  • Females cannot use the leftover water by males, but the males can use the leftover water by females...(Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.0081)
  • Muhammad forbade the use of leftover water by females to be used by males...(Sunaan Abu Dawud, 1.0082)
  • Muhammad and his wives took bath from the same vessel of water…(Sunaan ibn Majah, 1.379)
  • Leprosy is caused by taking bath in water exposed to the sun…(Mishkat, 1.245)
     


>>>> Continued in Chapter 16

If you like this essay: Stumble it   Stumble Upon Toolbar digg it reddit

Abul Kasem is an Bengali ex-Muslim and academic. He has contributed in Leaving Islam - Apostates Speak Out and Beyond Jihad - Critical Voices from Inside. He has also written extensively on Islam in various websites and is the author of five e-Books: A Complete Guide to Allah, Root of Terrorism ala Islamic Style, Sex and Sexuality in Islam, Who Authored the Quran? and Women in Islam. Mr. Kasem leaves in Sydney, Australia. He can be contacted at abul88@hotmail.com.


Name:   
Comment:

Comment Note: Our system cannot separate paragraphs.


Name: Mike in Nevada
Date: Saturday March 01, 2008
Time: 15:52:50 -0700

Comment

I was told when I visited Indonesia to never hand anyone anything with my left hand. It is an enormous insult. After considering the above described hygiene, I doubt that I want to receive anything from a Muslim, regardless of which hand is used to clean his private parts. In the west we have had a hugh technological breakthrough. We call it toilet paper.


Name: Matti
Date: Sunday March 02, 2008
Time: 04:26:37 -0700

Comment

Definately a sign of bad potty training .


Name: mhw
Date: Sunday March 02, 2008
Time: 20:21:18 -0700

Comment

What an unpleasant research assignment. Islam, urination and defecation. many thanks for Abul Kassem for taking this on.


Name: abul u r great man !
Date: Sunday March 02, 2008
Time: 22:54:58 -0700

Comment

abul u r great,u did this important but disgusting research.


Name: how can u use stones to clean yr ass of shit ? and where to fins stones ?
Date: Sunday March 02, 2008
Time: 22:57:02 -0700

Comment

how u do clear yr ass of shit and where do u find stones ? also,if soemone else had used these stones earlier does not not make this a very unhealthy practice. imagine someone shit and used stones...and then after some time u pick up the stones with yr hands and clean yr shit.it means thta u r making yr ass and yr hands unclean. yuckkkkkkk


Name: Rudy
Date: Monday March 03, 2008
Time: 10:28:19 -0700

Comment

LOL Oh my stars and garters, this reads like a Monty Python movie!!! Those silly stupid muslims LMAO


Name: kafir/infidel ( & Ex-communist ).
Date: Monday March 03, 2008
Time: 10:36:50 -0700

Comment

Mo's Hadis and sunna are hilarious and funny. Mo's hadis sunna clearly tells ( apart from the QQURRAN proper ) , how Profiteer the evil MO_HAM_MAD s knowledge, spirituality is very narrow ,limited and very ordinary. Any 5 yrs old person can tell that ISLAM is not spirituality,ISLAM is not a religion - but a demonic death cult which will take a human being into darkness and cruelty and inhumanity............ See how MO_HAM_MAD prescribed stones for cleaning ass after defecation. This is so funny,hilarious,laughble stuff. on this alone ISLAM will be proven uncivilized - nothing good about ISLAM. IN the desert ARABIA - in the 7th century - there was no water ,no trees and leaves - and using stones proves beyond any doubt that the area was primitive and uncivilized at that time .MO cant think any thing better other than stones to clean ass after defecation ,even as late as in 7th century !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey Mohammadens , the blind followers of MO_HAM_MAD - note this.


Name: Godot
Date: Monday March 03, 2008
Time: 12:56:54 -0700

Comment

Very entertaining and sort of amusing. Nevertheless, one must admit that all religions (including Islam)have their own absurdities and silly rituals.


Name:
Date: Tuesday March 04, 2008
Time: 02:38:20 -0700

Comment

Bizzare habits these mosies have! They are stuck in the 7th Century muck and trash. They cannot integrate with the 21st. Century world. Let them live in their hell-holes and rot there to extinction!


Name: Igor
Date: Wednesday March 05, 2008
Time: 06:15:48 -0700

Comment

What if a man loses the use of his left hand? Should he get someone else to wipe his butt with stones after he defecates? Is there a fatwa for this???


Name: razi
Date: Thursday March 06, 2008
Time: 13:07:18 -0700

Comment

what exactly are we trying to do? there is a conflict i believe. bcoz the narators like abu huraira or sahi muslim, bukhari or abu dawud are not ligit narators. i am a muslim and as far as i know they were the paid/salaried ppl from some anti islam group to write some nasty shit abt islam and defame the religion. thats it really. i think rather jumping to a conclusion, we shd search first. tanx


Name: Constantine the Great
Date: Thursday March 06, 2008
Time: 15:30:52 -0700

Comment

Yet another example of how Islam discriminates against groups - this time left-handed people. Are left-handed children beaten to make them use their right hands? I heard on Moslem lady say "how can you use the hand that you wipe your back-side with to write the name of Allah?" It's all very childish to think that pooh is naughty and smelly and evil and bad, when it is God who created this masterpiece of waste disposal for us.


Name: Warner
Date: Friday March 07, 2008
Time: 15:43:24 -0700

Comment

razi said "what exactly are we trying to do? there is a conflict i believe. bcoz the narators like abu huraira or sahi muslim, bukhari or abu dawud are not ligit narators. i am a muslim and as far as i know they were the paid/salaried ppl from some anti islam group to write some nasty shit abt islam and defame the religion. thats it really. i think rather jumping to a conclusion, we shd search first. tanx" Razi, you have just uttered, for all to see, the great escape clause resorted to by all Muslims i.e. when it suits, you claim that the hadiths are not worth the paper they're written on yet at the same time you must agree that all Islamic fiqh, sharia etc.could not exist without them.........if Islam relied on Qur'an alone it would be unrecognisable.....please make up your collective minds what exactly is you position on hadiths and stop accepting / rejecting them as the circumstances demand.


Name: Warner
Date: Friday March 07, 2008
Time: 15:58:36 -0700

Comment

Razi said:.."i am a muslim and as far as i know they were the paid/salaried ppl from some anti islam group to write some nasty shit abt islam and defame the religion. thats it really".................Razi, get it into your thick skull......there is no need for this conspiratorial idea that there is some 'hidden hand' "of paid/salaried ppl from some anti islam group" who are hell bent on "defaming Islam".........you do an excellent job of it yourselves without any external assistance required.


Name: Murtado
Date: Monday March 10, 2008
Time: 02:23:50 -0700

Comment

Razi, Don't give us the same old excuses, by doing that you are only proving how low a muslim can go when faced with the truth.


Name: Syed Saboor
Date: Friday March 21, 2008
Time: 00:12:00 -0700

Comment

You are all mistaken. If anybody has weird toilet habits, its all of you filthy Western scum. We Muslims are the most cleanest people in the world. Our hygiene is second to none. Personal hygiene is a must for all Muslims. After excretion and sex we are required to cleanse ourselves properly. I just have one thing to say, do your research more properly and stop spreading all of these malicious lies.


Name:
Date: Friday March 21, 2008
Time: 17:38:29 -0700

Comment

Don't you have any other works to do?


Name: Muhammad of Qibla
Date: Monday April 07, 2008
Time: 02:48:54 -0700

Comment

I shall put a Jihad on any of you dirty buggers who go near my dunny. Filthy Muslims Creatures the lot of you.


Name: thank you
Date: Thursday June 19, 2008
Time: 09:32:23 -0700

Comment

Thanks for leading the unbelievers to righteousness. But they do not listen because their hearts are sealed


Name: personal
Date: Thursday June 19, 2008
Time: 09:35:45 -0700

Comment

good work! lead the filthy wrongdeors


Name: Pious Muslim
Date: Tuesday July 15, 2008
Time: 08:38:33 -0700

Comment

fuck you!!!!!!!


Name: Mahabub
Date: Thursday August 07, 2008
Time: 09:14:28 -0700

Comment

Dear Mr. Abul Kasem and all (Musim and Non-Muslim alike), Assalamualimum, I read your interestingly misleading piece of writing with utmost interest for two reasons namely I am a Muslim and a Bangladeshi like you. It’s even more interesting because of the fact that the antagonists of Islam are now researching on how we Muslim defecate and pass water so that they can engage in a smear campaign with fictitious and fabricated facts with the objective to try to stop the spread of Islam in Europe and America. And any stupid knows that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. And not surprisingly, Christianity is dwindling at an alarming rate. I must admit that Mr. Abul Kasem has been very successful in misleading some people with his “wisely” chosen words and facts which are far from what we Muslims in reality do to keep ourselves keep. From the comments on his article by various people, I once again got the impression of how ready and willing the self-styled “educated and civilized” westerners are to believe anything against Islam which is absolutely wrong. For everyone’s information, we Muslims: 1. We wait till the last drop of urine comes out so that our pants do not get dirty after we leave toilet. Whereas the westerners just “do the job” and leave toilet with a filthy pants with dripping…… 2. We use toilet paper (not stones) three to five times to wipe the dirt and then wash with water. Whereas the westerners use only use toilet paper and use perfume so that the smell of their mucky asshole can not reach other’s nasal cavity. 3. We use left hand to wash because we use right hand to eat even though wash our hand very well. I would urge all not just to trust what people like Abul Kasem writes, try to get the real fact!!!


 
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