Chapter on the Etiquette of Relieving Oneself
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The Shaykh : We are now beginning a new lesson:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on the Etiquette of Relieving Oneself":
Among the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that He made causes for His remembrance so that a person may awaken and become mindful of remembering Allah. For a person may be overcome by heedlessness and forget the remembrance of Allah. So Allah the Exalted makes many causes for His remembrance: entering the home involves remembrance, leaving the home involves remembrance, wearing new clothing involves remembrance, eating involves remembrance, and relieving oneself after eating involves remembrance. This is so that a person is always in connection with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through the remembrance of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). In reality, this benefit is only attained by the one who remembers Allah with his heart, his tongue, and his limbs. As for the one who remembers Allah with his tongue and limbs but not his heart, this great benefit is lost to him. I ask Allah to awaken us and you from heedlessness. Therefore, we find that the Lawgiver prescribed for us acts of worship even when relieving oneself of food and drink, let alone when eating and drinking. For relieving oneself of food and drink is a great blessing. One does not realize the blessing of Allah upon us with it except when one loses it. If a person’s urine were to be retained, he would redeem it with the entire world. Or if his stool were to be retained, or if his gas were to be trapped, he would suffer greatly and would go to every valley to reach a doctor who could save him from it. There is no doubt that the blessing of Allah upon us in relieving ourselves of food and drink is a great blessing. We must thank Him (Blessed and Exalted is He) for it.
Then, this relieving oneself is of food and drink. Where did this food and drink come from?
From Allah (Mighty and Majestic),[Al-Waqi'ah 56:63-64]?
The answer: You, our Lord. You are the One who planted this. And had not Allah the Exalted planted it, it would not have grown. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:65] And He did not say: "If We had willed, it would not have come out." Because if it grows and matures, and all that remains is its harvesting and threshing, and then it becomes chaff, it becomes more severe in deprivation and more severe in regret, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Reflect on the verses. He did not say: "If We had willed, We would not have caused it to grow" or "We would not have planted it." He said:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:65] Meaning, after it comes out and grows, and a person sees it and his soul becomes attached to it, Allah makes it chaff. And true is the Great Allah. If He had willed, He would have made it chaff. How many crops have become chaff after they had fully matured?!
Allah sends winds upon them and cold from the sky, so He destroys them. Also, regarding drink,[Al-Waqi'ah 56:68-69]?
The answer: Allah (Mighty and Majestic):[Al-Waqi'ah 56:70] And if Allah makes it bitter, we cannot drink it even though it is in our hands. And He did not say: "If We had willed, We would not have sent it down." Because the fact that water is in our hands and we are unable to drink it is more regrettable than if we had not found it at all.
So the result is that the blessings of Allah upon you in relieving yourself of food and drink necessitate that you remember the blessing of Allah upon you in obtaining food and drink. How many people have not obtained it, either by divine decree or by religious law. The good things were forbidden to the Children of Israel, though they had been made lawful for them, so they were prevented from them by religious law, even though they were good.
And a person may fall ill and be told: "Do not eat such-and-such meat" or "such-and-such food," so he is prevented from it by divine decree. This is among the blessings of Allah: that Allah made food and drink easy for you, made it lawful for you, and enabled you to access it. These are blessings. If we were to count the blessings of Allah (Exalted and Majestic) upon us in this, they would reach the hundreds. It has even been said that it is not possible for food to be placed before you unless Allah the Exalted has more than three hundred blessings in it. But we are heedless of this. Therefore, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) needed to mention the etiquette of relieving oneself.
And the meaning of "relieving oneself" is getting rid of food and drink. But among the etiquette in wording is that a person should use an euphemism for something he is shy to mention, using what indicates it. When it is referred to by what indicates it, it becomes a reality for it. Otherwise, if we returned to the term "relieving oneself," what does it include?
It includes the one who goes to buy food for himself, or buys something for his family. But when this expression became customary, it became a reality for urine and stool. So, what is meant by "relieving oneself"?
Urine, getting rid of food, which is urine and stool. It has verbal etiquettes and it has practical etiquettes when entering, when exiting, and when sitting.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on the Etiquette of Relieving Oneself":
Among the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that He made causes for His remembrance so that a person may awaken and become mindful of remembering Allah. For a person may be overcome by heedlessness and forget the remembrance of Allah. So Allah the Exalted makes many causes for His remembrance: entering the home involves remembrance, leaving the home involves remembrance, wearing new clothing involves remembrance, eating involves remembrance, and relieving oneself after eating involves remembrance. This is so that a person is always in connection with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through the remembrance of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). In reality, this benefit is only attained by the one who remembers Allah with his heart, his tongue, and his limbs. As for the one who remembers Allah with his tongue and limbs but not his heart, this great benefit is lost to him. I ask Allah to awaken us and you from heedlessness. Therefore, we find that the Lawgiver prescribed for us acts of worship even when relieving oneself of food and drink, let alone when eating and drinking. For relieving oneself of food and drink is a great blessing. One does not realize the blessing of Allah upon us with it except when one loses it. If a person’s urine were to be retained, he would redeem it with the entire world. Or if his stool were to be retained, or if his gas were to be trapped, he would suffer greatly and would go to every valley to reach a doctor who could save him from it. There is no doubt that the blessing of Allah upon us in relieving ourselves of food and drink is a great blessing. We must thank Him (Blessed and Exalted is He) for it.
Then, this relieving oneself is of food and drink. Where did this food and drink come from?
From Allah (Mighty and Majestic),
(63) And have you seen that [seed] which you sow? (64) Is it you who makes it grow, or are We the grower?
أفرأيتم ما تحرثون أأنتم تزرعونه أم نحن الزارعونThe answer: You, our Lord. You are the One who planted this. And had not Allah the Exalted planted it, it would not have grown. Allah the Exalted said:
If We willed, We could make it [dry] debris
لو نشاء لجعلناه حطاماThe student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Reflect on the verses. He did not say: "If We had willed, We would not have caused it to grow" or "We would not have planted it." He said:
If We willed, We could make it [dry] debris
لو نشاء لجعلناه حطاماAllah sends winds upon them and cold from the sky, so He destroys them. Also, regarding drink,
(68) And have you seen the water that you drink? (69) Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down?
أفرأيتم الماء الذي تشربون أأنتم أنزلتموه من المزن أم نحن المنزلونThe answer: Allah (Mighty and Majestic):
If We willed, We could make it bitter
لو نشاء جعلناه أُجاجاSo the result is that the blessings of Allah upon you in relieving yourself of food and drink necessitate that you remember the blessing of Allah upon you in obtaining food and drink. How many people have not obtained it, either by divine decree or by religious law. The good things were forbidden to the Children of Israel, though they had been made lawful for them, so they were prevented from them by religious law, even though they were good.
And a person may fall ill and be told: "Do not eat such-and-such meat" or "such-and-such food," so he is prevented from it by divine decree. This is among the blessings of Allah: that Allah made food and drink easy for you, made it lawful for you, and enabled you to access it. These are blessings. If we were to count the blessings of Allah (Exalted and Majestic) upon us in this, they would reach the hundreds. It has even been said that it is not possible for food to be placed before you unless Allah the Exalted has more than three hundred blessings in it. But we are heedless of this. Therefore, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) needed to mention the etiquette of relieving oneself.
And the meaning of "relieving oneself" is getting rid of food and drink. But among the etiquette in wording is that a person should use an euphemism for something he is shy to mention, using what indicates it. When it is referred to by what indicates it, it becomes a reality for it. Otherwise, if we returned to the term "relieving oneself," what does it include?
It includes the one who goes to buy food for himself, or buys something for his family. But when this expression became customary, it became a reality for urine and stool. So, what is meant by "relieving oneself"?
Urine, getting rid of food, which is urine and stool. It has verbal etiquettes and it has practical etiquettes when entering, when exiting, and when sitting.