What to Say when You Enter and Leave the Bathroom - Supplication Simplified EP6

Al salam alaykom wa rahmat Allah wa barkaatoh Brothers and Sisters,

In this episode of Supplication simplified we teach you what to say before you enter the bathroom and what to say when you leave it:

Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “These toilets are haunted (inhabited by devils), so when anyone of you goes to the toilet let him say, ‘A’udhu Billahi min al-khubthi wa’l-khabaith (I seek refuge with Allah from the male and female devils).” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 6; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud)

These places are singled out for seeking protection with Allah for two reasons:

1. Because they are toilets, and by Allah’s will the devils dominate toilets.
2. The toilet is a filthy place where one should not verbally remember Allah, so the shaytan takes advantage if one does not remember Him, because remembrance of Allah drives him away. So the command to seek refuge with Allah before that means that one will be protected from the shaytan until he comes out.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/83):

The purpose of this seeking refuge is to seek protection with Allah against al-khubthi wa’l-khabaith (the male and female devils) because this is an evil and unclean place (khabith), and the place that is khabith is the abode of al-khubthi wa’l-khabaith (the male and female devils). So it is appropriate when wanting to enter the toilet to say: A’udhu Billahi min al-khubthi wa’l-khabaith (I seek refuge Allah from the male and female devils), so that no khubth (evil) or khabaith (evil spirits) will affect him. End quote.

This reason dictates that the Muslim should always seek refuge with Allah every time he enters the toilet, whether he intends to relieve himself or he is entering for some other purpose for which people use bathrooms nowadays, such as cleaning and so on. Thus the Muslim will protect himself from the harm of the devils.

The same applies to the du’a for leaving the washroom. Al-Tirmidhi (7) narrated that ‘Aishah said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exited the toilet, he used to say Ghufranaka (Your forgiveness).

The scholars have stated that the reason why one should seek forgiveness when exiting the toilet is that it is for not remembering Allah whilst one was in the toilet. The Muslim regards that as a shortcoming and makes up for it by asking for forgiveness.