ISTINJÂ

Cleaning one’s front or back after discharge of najâsat is called istinjâ. Istinjâ is sunnat-i muakkada. In other words, after urinating or defecating in a restroom it is sunnat for a man or woman to clean his or her front or back (private organs) with a stone or with some water so as not to leave any urine or excrement. However, in case istinjâ with water would be impossible without opening one’s awrat parts in company of others, one gives up the istinjâ with water even if a large amount of najâsat is left. One does not open one’s awrat parts, and performs namâz in this state. If one opens them, one will become a sinner who has committed harâm. When one finds a secluded place, one makes istinjâ with water and performs the namâz again. “If doing a commandment will cause you to commit a harâm, you must [delay or] omit the commandment lest you will commit the harâm.”

It is tahrimî makrûh to make an istinjâ with bones, food, manure, bricks, pieces of pots or glass, coal, animal food, others’ possessions, valuable things such as silk, things thrown away from mosques, zamzam water, leaves or paper. Even a blank piece of paper must be respected. It is permissible to make an istinjâ with pieces of paper or newspapers containing secular names or writings that have nothing to do with religion. But you must not make an istinjâ with any paper containing Islamic letters. It is makrûh to urinate or defecate with one’s front or back towards the qibla, while standing or being naked, without any excuse. A ghusl is not permissible at a place where urine has accumulated. Yet it is permissible if the urine will not accumulate and will flow away. Water used for istinja becomes najs. It must not be allowed to splash on your clothes. Therefore, when making an istinjâ you must open your awrat parts and do it in a secluded place. Istinjâ cannot be made by inserting one’s hand into one’s pants in front of the wash-basin and thereby wash one’s organ by making it touch the water in one’s palm. When smeared with drops of urine, water in one’s palm becomes najs and causes the pants which it drops on to become najs. If the area, where this water drops on to, is larger than a palm full, the namâz will not be sahîh.