Question:
There are some men who defecate in the restrooms at the same time they also smoke. What is your opinion regarding this? What should we do to avoid doing bad deeds such as smoking in restrooms? Hope for your explanation.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many 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.
First, we would like to emphasize that smoking is prohibited.
We have commented and wrote an in-depth explanation regarding this issue in our previous articles, some of them are:
- Bayan Linnas Siri ke-18: Merokok: Hukum dan Penyelesaiannya (Bayan Linnas Series 18: Smoking: The Ruling and Its Solution)
See: http://www.muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/bayan-linnas/2634-bayan-linnas-siri-ke-18-merokok-hukum-dan-penyelesaiannya?highlight=WyJyb2tvayJd
- Irsyad al-Fatwa ke-63: Hukum Penggunaan Rokok Elektronik/Vapor (Irsyad al-Fatwa 63: The Ruling of Electronic/Vapor Cigarettes)
See: http://www.muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-fatwa/irsyad-fatwa-umum/1905-irsyad-fatwa-ke-63-hukum-penggunaan-rokok-elektronik-vapor?highlight=WyJyb2tvayJd.
Hence, smoking whether it is in restrooms or outside of restrooms is still prohibited.
Second, the manners related in restrooms.
The Prophet PBUH taught us the manners in restrooms. Among them are manners before entering restrooms which is to supplicate. This is stated in a narration from Anas bin Malik RA, he said, the Prophet PBUH said:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from devils – males and females (or all offensive and wicked things, evil deeds and evil spirits, etc.)”
Sahih al-Bukhari (6322) and Sahih Muslim (375)
According to al-Khattabi, al-Khubuth (الْخُبث) is the plural form of the word al-khabith (خَبِيث) which means male jinn. While al-khaba’ith (الْخَبَائِث) is the plural form of the word al-khabithah (خبيثة) which means female jinn. (See Fath al-Bari, 1/243)
According to the above hadith, we are asked to seek refuge from Allah SWT every time we want to enter restrooms. Scholars state that we are encouraged to seek refuge from shaytan when entering restrooms is so that we are protected from shaytan who dwells in places of najis and where awrah is revealed. This is stated in a hadith narrated by Zaid bin Arqm RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْحُشُوشَ مُحْتَضَرَةٌ فَإِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْخَلاَءَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
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."
Sunan Abu Daud (6), Sunan Ibn Majah (296) and Sunan al-Nasa’ie (9903)
This shows that we should not spend a long time in restroom. Smoking will increase the duration a person would spend in a restroom and being lost in thought.
The same goes when exiting the restroom, we are taught to supplicate as the following:
غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا الحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي اَذْهَبُ عَنِّي الأَذَى وَعَافَانِي الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَذَاقَنِي لَذَّتَهُ وَأَبْقَى فِي قُوَّتِهِ وَدَفْعِ عَنِّي أَذَاهُ
"Praise be to Allah Who has satisfied our needs and quenched our thirst. Your favour cannot by compensated or denied." Once he said, upraise be to You, O our Lord! Your favour cannot be compensated, nor can be left, nor can be dispensed with, O our Lord!"
Sunan Abu Daud (30), Sunan al-Tirmizi (7) and Sunan Ibn Majah (301)
Furthermore, we are also encouraged to be mindful of the following manners in the restrooms as the following:
- Recite supplication before entering a restroom
- Enter with the left foot and exit with the right foot
- Cover the head
- Wear slippers
- Do not prolong the duration in the restroom
- Do not eat or drink in a restroom
- Supplicate when exiting the restroom
(See al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/201)
Conclusion
To conclude, we would like to reiterate a person should not smoke in restrooms or elsewhere for there are only harmful effects on smokers.
Moreover, we should always be mindful of the manners before, during and after entering restrooms as taught to us by our beloved Prophet PBUH. We should always supplicate asking for help and protection from Allah SWT as taught to us in the hadiths of the Prophet PBUH.
Lastly, may Allah SWT give us guidance in everything we do in our lives. Amin.