Is it forbidden to drink while standing, and to eat and urinate while standing?
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The questioner : Is it forbidden to drink while standing, to eat while standing, and to urinate while standing? Is all of this forbidden, haram for the Muslim?
The Shaykh : No, not all of it. No, not all of it. Am I waiting, or are you?
The questioner : I am waiting.
The Shaykh : Okay. Drinking while standing is forbidden; it is not permissible based on the explicit text from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for eating while standing, we have the statement of a Companion, and we find no one contradicting him, so we follow him. He is Anas ibn Malik, who narrated that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade drinking while standing. He was asked, "What about eating?" He said, "That is worse." Eating while standing is worse than drinking while standing. As for urinating while standing, it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari:Sunan Ibn Majah 306. So, if the person urinating while standing is not hit by the spray, if the urine of the person urinating while standing does not hit him with the spray of urine, then it is the same whether he urinates standing or sitting. The important thing is that he purifies himself from the urine, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Bulugh al-Maram 103 Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : ... regarding drinking while standing, what is the exception...?
The Shaykh : Unless drinking while sitting is not possible. For example, if the water skin is hung up high and he cannot drink from it except with difficulty by unhooking it and drawing water from it, then it is permissible for him to drink from it while standing. The important thing is the principle: if a person cannot drink while sitting, it is not permissible for him to drink while standing. Is that clear? I mean, if he is able to drink while sitting, it is not permissible for him to drink while standing.
The questioner : Okay, I have a legal excuse. I always drink while standing because my left leg does not bend. But if there is a chair or something, then I drink while standing and I take advantage of the dispensation, meaning my left leg does not bend at all.
The Shaykh : You mean that sitting is difficult for you.
The questioner : It is difficult.
The Shaykh : May it be pleasant and easy for you.
The questioner : May Allah honor you, and may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : No, not all of it. No, not all of it. Am I waiting, or are you?
The questioner : I am waiting.
The Shaykh : Okay. Drinking while standing is forbidden; it is not permissible based on the explicit text from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for eating while standing, we have the statement of a Companion, and we find no one contradicting him, so we follow him. He is Anas ibn Malik, who narrated that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade drinking while standing. He was asked, "What about eating?" He said, "That is worse." Eating while standing is worse than drinking while standing. As for urinating while standing, it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari:
that the Prophet came to a dump of some people and urinated while standing
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أتى سباطة قوم فبال قائماBeware of (smearing yourselves with) urine, because it is the main cause of punishment in the grave
استنزهوا من البول فإن عامة عذاب القبر منهThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : ... regarding drinking while standing, what is the exception...?
The Shaykh : Unless drinking while sitting is not possible. For example, if the water skin is hung up high and he cannot drink from it except with difficulty by unhooking it and drawing water from it, then it is permissible for him to drink from it while standing. The important thing is the principle: if a person cannot drink while sitting, it is not permissible for him to drink while standing. Is that clear? I mean, if he is able to drink while sitting, it is not permissible for him to drink while standing.
The questioner : Okay, I have a legal excuse. I always drink while standing because my left leg does not bend. But if there is a chair or something, then I drink while standing and I take advantage of the dispensation, meaning my left leg does not bend at all.
The Shaykh : You mean that sitting is difficult for you.
The questioner : It is difficult.
The Shaykh : May it be pleasant and easy for you.
The questioner : May Allah honor you, and may Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.