What is the ruling on facing the qiblah while urinating or defecating?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : You are mentioning, for example, the scholarly disagreement among the jurists regarding the issue of facing the qiblah and turning one's back to it, between the open desert and built-up areas?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Correct.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, what is your view on this disagreement?
The questioner : It is disliked.
The Shaykh : No, my question concerns the previous topic in terms of generality and specificity. Is there a difference, even in terms of dislike? And when you say "disliked" now, do you mean the technical term for dislike, so that you do not say, "I mean such and such"?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean dislike, meaning it is not forbidden?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, so based on your statement of dislike, is there a difference in your view between built-up areas and non-built-up areas?
The questioner : There is no difference.
The Shaykh : There is no difference? What do you mean by the hadiths that permit facing the qiblah while urinating or defecating in built-up areas?
The questioner : I take them as indicating permissibility, to clarify the permissibility.
The Shaykh : To clarify the permissibility.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and why, when the general text first and foremost indicates dislike in general?
The questioner : The original ruling is prohibition. When the evidence came that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, these evidences shifted the ruling from prohibition to dislike.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me in the agreed-upon manner.
The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I answered you according to what we agreed upon.
The questioner : That the prohibition indicates what? It indicates prohibition!
The Shaykh : No, no, I am repeating the question to you.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The saying: Does it indicate dislike as a general principle and rule, or does it indicate prohibition?
The questioner : It indicates prohibition.
The Shaykh : Very good. And the hadiths that occurred in built-up areas shifted the prohibition to dislike; they shifted the text from prohibition to dislike!
The questioner : It is not in built-up areas, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, I consider the description of "built-up areas" to be a nullified description with no consideration.
The Shaykh : My brother, answer my question, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : My Shaykh, there is disagreement.
The Shaykh : Is it, is it...
The questioner : This is the point where you opposed me. I am speaking nine-tenths of my words, I do not know, well, you say what you want.
The Shaykh : Why did you agree with me on something you are not convinced of?
The questioner : My Shaykh, I did not understand that this agreement required me to restrict my speech. I understood that I speak what is in my view!
The Shaykh : What should the understanding be?
The questioner : You said built-up areas.
The Shaykh : We are telling you, my brother, a hundred thousand times... We are speaking about the principle. We agreed on the principle: forbidden or permissible, we agreed.
The questioner : We said forbidden.
The Shaykh : We agreed that if the question is about whether it is permissible or forbidden, the answer is what?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Specifically: forbidden or permissible, disliked or not disliked, permissible or not permissible!
The questioner: It is the same thing.
The Shaykh : Then we give a lecture? That is not what we agreed on!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, I do not see you now denying this agreement!
The questioner : My Shaykh, you are asking me a question with two possibilities: something I am not convinced of and something I am convinced of, and you want me to answer with one.
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : I am telling you now.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, where do you understand the answer from? I am clarifying. I am clarifying. I am now far from you regarding everything that has happened. You admit that "Do not face the qiblah" is a general text indicating prohibition.
The questioner : Initially.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Yes, I said initially that the prohibition indicates prohibition, meaning it is possible that it is specified, and it is possible that it is shifted to dislike.
The Shaykh : My brother, this would happen even if you had not said "initially." It would happen at the end. What is the benefit of this qualification? The important thing is that you do not understand from the text initially that it is dislike.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You understand prohibition.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, and my question that you did not answer me on: this general text indicating prohibition includes the open desert and includes built-up areas. Did the incidents that occurred in built-up areas clarify that the general prohibition was lowered from prohibition to dislike, or did some remain as prohibition and some remain or shift to dislike? This is my question. So, what is your position now?
The questioner : I will answer you, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Allow me, my brother, may Allah guide you. Allow me. You are now, in the manner we agreed upon and repeated over and over, saying if you wish, or you are speaking as you please. You say the text remained in its generality regarding prohibition, except that what was in houses was excluded.
The questioner : I did not say that.
The Shaykh : So you specified it as dislike.
The questioner : I did not say that, no, this is not what I said.
The Shaykh : But I am not telling you, I said, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!
The questioner : I thought.
The Shaykh : But what am I doing for you? You are assuming, you are assuming ill, may Allah guide you!
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah, it was not ill!
The Shaykh : But you are not paying attention to my words. I am telling you, either you say it this way or you say it another way. Either you say the general text remained in its generality except for what concerns built-up areas, or the text in its generality moved from prohibition to dislike. Either this or that. Then, if there is a need for explanation, I will say, please, benefit us. There is no need for explanation, my words are clear.
The questioner : Clear, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : All right, what is your answer?
The questioner : The text in its generality moved from prohibition to dislike.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Because "built-up areas" is a nullified description, combining the two texts!
The Shaykh : What is the evidence?
The questioner : There is no difference between the open desert and built-up areas, because built-up areas are a barrier and the open desert has a barrier. There is no difference regarding the Ka'bah; it is the mentioned cause.
The Shaykh : Now, does this answer lead us to something? Who among the scholars says this reasoning that you are stating?
The questioner : By Allah, I cannot enumerate them.
The Shaykh : Those whom we rely upon to correct our views and ideas.
The questioner : By Allah, my Shaykh, regarding the dislike or the reasoning itself.
The Shaykh : No, no, the reasoning?
The questioner : By Allah, I do not recall, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : All right, I hope you will recall, if Allah wills. Is there an obstacle?
The questioner : By Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Please, may Allah accept it, my Shaykh. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : All right, may Allah reward you with good.
The students: Heh heh
The Shaykh : Hehe, no, fine, please proceed. And Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Correct.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, what is your view on this disagreement?
The questioner : It is disliked.
The Shaykh : No, my question concerns the previous topic in terms of generality and specificity. Is there a difference, even in terms of dislike? And when you say "disliked" now, do you mean the technical term for dislike, so that you do not say, "I mean such and such"?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean dislike, meaning it is not forbidden?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, so based on your statement of dislike, is there a difference in your view between built-up areas and non-built-up areas?
The questioner : There is no difference.
The Shaykh : There is no difference? What do you mean by the hadiths that permit facing the qiblah while urinating or defecating in built-up areas?
The questioner : I take them as indicating permissibility, to clarify the permissibility.
The Shaykh : To clarify the permissibility.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and why, when the general text first and foremost indicates dislike in general?
The questioner : The original ruling is prohibition. When the evidence came that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, these evidences shifted the ruling from prohibition to dislike.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me in the agreed-upon manner.
The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I answered you according to what we agreed upon.
The questioner : That the prohibition indicates what? It indicates prohibition!
The Shaykh : No, no, I am repeating the question to you.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The saying:
Do not face
لا تستقبلواThe questioner : It indicates prohibition.
The Shaykh : Very good. And the hadiths that occurred in built-up areas shifted the prohibition to dislike; they shifted the text from prohibition to dislike!
The questioner : It is not in built-up areas, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, I consider the description of "built-up areas" to be a nullified description with no consideration.
The Shaykh : My brother, answer my question, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : My Shaykh, there is disagreement.
The Shaykh : Is it, is it...
The questioner : This is the point where you opposed me. I am speaking nine-tenths of my words, I do not know, well, you say what you want.
The Shaykh : Why did you agree with me on something you are not convinced of?
The questioner : My Shaykh, I did not understand that this agreement required me to restrict my speech. I understood that I speak what is in my view!
The Shaykh : What should the understanding be?
The questioner : You said built-up areas.
The Shaykh : We are telling you, my brother, a hundred thousand times... We are speaking about the principle. We agreed on the principle: forbidden or permissible, we agreed.
The questioner : We said forbidden.
The Shaykh : We agreed that if the question is about whether it is permissible or forbidden, the answer is what?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Specifically: forbidden or permissible, disliked or not disliked, permissible or not permissible!
The questioner: It is the same thing.
The Shaykh : Then we give a lecture? That is not what we agreed on!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, I do not see you now denying this agreement!
The questioner : My Shaykh, you are asking me a question with two possibilities: something I am not convinced of and something I am convinced of, and you want me to answer with one.
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : I am telling you now.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, where do you understand the answer from? I am clarifying. I am clarifying. I am now far from you regarding everything that has happened. You admit that "Do not face the qiblah" is a general text indicating prohibition.
The questioner : Initially.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Yes, I said initially that the prohibition indicates prohibition, meaning it is possible that it is specified, and it is possible that it is shifted to dislike.
The Shaykh : My brother, this would happen even if you had not said "initially." It would happen at the end. What is the benefit of this qualification? The important thing is that you do not understand from the text initially that it is dislike.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You understand prohibition.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, and my question that you did not answer me on: this general text indicating prohibition includes the open desert and includes built-up areas. Did the incidents that occurred in built-up areas clarify that the general prohibition was lowered from prohibition to dislike, or did some remain as prohibition and some remain or shift to dislike? This is my question. So, what is your position now?
The questioner : I will answer you, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Allow me, my brother, may Allah guide you. Allow me. You are now, in the manner we agreed upon and repeated over and over, saying if you wish, or you are speaking as you please. You say the text remained in its generality regarding prohibition, except that what was in houses was excluded.
The questioner : I did not say that.
The Shaykh : So you specified it as dislike.
The questioner : I did not say that, no, this is not what I said.
The Shaykh : But I am not telling you, I said, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!
The questioner : I thought.
The Shaykh : But what am I doing for you? You are assuming, you are assuming ill, may Allah guide you!
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah, it was not ill!
The Shaykh : But you are not paying attention to my words. I am telling you, either you say it this way or you say it another way. Either you say the general text remained in its generality except for what concerns built-up areas, or the text in its generality moved from prohibition to dislike. Either this or that. Then, if there is a need for explanation, I will say, please, benefit us. There is no need for explanation, my words are clear.
The questioner : Clear, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : All right, what is your answer?
The questioner : The text in its generality moved from prohibition to dislike.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Because "built-up areas" is a nullified description, combining the two texts!
The Shaykh : What is the evidence?
The questioner : There is no difference between the open desert and built-up areas, because built-up areas are a barrier and the open desert has a barrier. There is no difference regarding the Ka'bah; it is the mentioned cause.
The Shaykh : Now, does this answer lead us to something? Who among the scholars says this reasoning that you are stating?
The questioner : By Allah, I cannot enumerate them.
The Shaykh : Those whom we rely upon to correct our views and ideas.
The questioner : By Allah, my Shaykh, regarding the dislike or the reasoning itself.
The Shaykh : No, no, the reasoning?
The questioner : By Allah, I do not recall, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : All right, I hope you will recall, if Allah wills. Is there an obstacle?
The questioner : By Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Please, may Allah accept it, my Shaykh. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : All right, may Allah reward you with good.
The students: Heh heh
The Shaykh : Hehe, no, fine, please proceed. And Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.