Personal Hygiene in Islam

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said that ‘cleanliness if part of faith’. So we must take care to be well-groomed, keeping our bodies and clothing clean, especially at times of worship.


When visiting the toilet

Regardless of age, we should all take care that our underwear and private parts remain as clean as possible. Underpants, panties and socks should be changed daily in order to avoid unpleasant odours. Females may use pantiliners if necessary. If urine happens to splatter onto your clothing, you should wash it off until no colour or smell remains.

The Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) advised that we should clean ourselves thoroughly after using the toilet. This is called istinja'.

The proper way to make istinja' is to remove all traces of najasa (filth) - urine or faeces with something clean and dry, such as toilet paper. If you are in the countryside and paper tissues are not available, you may use smooth, clean stones or dried clay instead. In At-Tirmidhi it is mentioned not to use bones or dung when performing istinja.

Use your left hand, and wipe your private parts until no trace of impurities can be seen on the toilet paper. It is sunnah to do this an odd number of times. Then clean your private parts with water. Many Muslim homes have special spray hoses installed next to the toilet, or water jugs for this purpose.


After cleaning with water, it is best to dry off again with toilet paper. This is especially recommended for women and girls, in order to prevent infections that occur if your underwear remains damp. For this reason, women and girls should also be careful to wipe from front to back, rather than from back to front. It is also recommended to wear loose, cotton underwear which ‘breathes’ and dries more quickly than panties made from man-made materials such as nylon or polyester.

Take care not to be facing the direction of the Qibla, or with the back towards the Qibla when relieving yourself, and remember that it is sunnah to squat down when doing do.

Wash your hands after using the toilet, taking care that no unpleasant odour remains under or around your fingernails. Finally, it is sunnah to make wudu after using the toilet, so that you are always prepared for prayer and other acts of worship.

Do not relieve oneself at riverbanks, roads and shady places where people walk or rest, or stagnant water (water that does not flow).
[Bukhari and Abu Dawud]

It is recommended to enter the bathroom with the left foot, and to leave it with the right foot; contrary to the way you enter the masjid. It is recommended (sunnah) to enter the masjid with the right foot first, and to leave it with the left foot.
Also, before entering for one to seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan, and say the relevant du'a (supplicaions) when entering and exiting the toilet.



Removing Unnecessary Body Hair

The hair that grows under your arms and around your private parts can also be a source of bad odours, because hair, combined with darkness and moisture, provides and ideal environment for bacteria to grow. When this hair is removed, the body odour is reduced and there is less chance of catching troublesome irritants, such as ‘jock itch’ or body lice. It is also easier to keep the area clean.

The Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said;

Five practices are characteristic of the fitra (the natural state, or tradition of the prophets): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustache short, clipping the nails, and removing the hair of the armpits.
[Sahih al-Bukhari]

It is permissible to remove the hair under your armpits and your pubic hair by any method that you do not find too difficult or painful: plucking, shaving, cutting it short, using wax treatments, ‘strip’ hair removers, or with any number of special depilatory creams and ointments that are available on the market for this purpose.
This hair should be removed at least once every forty days, or whenever it grows long.

It is also a good idea to use underarm deodorant, especially before participating in sports or going to the school or mosque, so that other people will not be offended by one’s body odour.

It is the custom for girls and women in some countries to shave their legs as well, or to remove all of the hair from their arms and legs with ‘strip’ hair removers or depilatory creams. This is mubah – neither recommended in Islam nor forbidden.

---

Extract from 'The Miracle of Life - a guide on Islamic family life and sexual health education for young people' by Fatima M. D'Oyen.
(Specifically written for Adolescents and teenagers)
© The Islamic Foundation 2000.