IstinjΔ’, or cleansing the private parts and anus after urination or defecation, is an important part of αΉahΔrah (ritual purity) in Islam. It is an initial step before a Muslim can perform acts of worship that require purity from αΈ₯adath, such as αΉ£alΔt. However, a question arises in the minds of some people: does IstinjΔ’ require intention like wudhu or mandi wajib?
Understanding the law regarding the intention in IstinjΔ’ is important so that our worship is valid and accepted by Allah SWT. This article will thoroughly examine this issue based on the views of Islamic scholars, including a review from one of the main reference books of the Shafi’i school of thought.
Understanding the Importance of Intention in Worship
In Islamic teachings, intention plays a central role in every deed, especially those related to worship. It is intention that distinguishes between ordinary habits and deeds that have merit in the sight of Allah. The basis for this is the famous saying of the Messenger of Allah ο·Ί:
Ψ₯ΩΩΩΩΩ ΩΨ§ Ψ§ΩΩΨ£ΩΨΉΩΩ ΩΨ§ΩΩ Ψ¨ΩΨ§ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΨ§ΨͺΩ ΩΩΨ₯ΩΩΩΩΩ ΩΨ§ ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ Ψ§Ω ΩΨ±ΩΨ¦Ω Ω ΩΨ§ ΩΩΩΩΩ
βIndeed, actions are judged by intentions, and each person will be rewarded according to what they intended.β
(Narrated by αΉ’aαΈ₯Δ«αΈ₯ al-BukhΔrΔ« and αΉ’aαΈ₯Δ«αΈ₯ Muslim.)
This hadith serves as a general foundation for many rulings in Islamic jurisprudence, including the chapter on ritual purity (αΉahΔrah). However, how is this principle of intention applied specifically to istinjΔΚΎ?
Two Types of Purification: Impurity and Ritual Impurity
The scholars of Islamic jurisprudence divide purification into two main categories:
- Purification from Impurity ( Ψ₯Ψ²Ψ§ΩΨ© Ψ§ΩΩΨ¬Ψ§Ψ³Ψ© ): Removing or cleansing physical filth considered impure according to Islamic law, such as urine, feces, blood, or carrion.
- Purification from αΈ€adath ( Ψ±ΩΨΉ Ψ§ΩΨΨ―Ψ« ): Removing a legal state that prevents one from performing certain acts of worship, namely minor αΈ€adath (requiring wudhu or tayamum) and major αΈ€adath (requiring ghusl or tayamum).
The difference between these two types of purification affects the law of niat (intention).
Is Intention Necessary When Removing Impurity?
Generally, removing najis from the body, clothing, or place does not require intention. Why? Because the main goal is simply to eliminate physical impurity. If najis is removed on its own or due to another cause without human intention (for example, clothing affected by najis becomes clean due to rainwater), then the najis is considered to have disappeared and the object is pure. This differs from worship, which aims to draw closer to Allah and requires intentionality.
Is Intention Required to Remove Hadath?
Conversely, removing ritual impurity, whether minor or major, requires intention according to the majority of Ulama. Wudhu, mandi wajib, and tayamum are ritual acts of worship performed to remove the state of ritual impurity, thus requiring an intention that distinguishes them from merely physically cleansing oneself.
The Position of IstinjΔ’ in the Discussion of Intention
IstinjΔ’ is performed after urinating or defecating. Its purpose is to cleanse the remaining impurities (urine and feces) that exit the body. These impurities are categorized as αΈ₯arΔm.
Read the explanation of IstinjΔΚΎ to better understand its meaning and purpose, which is to remove filth or impurity (najis).
Based on the division above, IstinjΔ’ leans more towards the category of removing impurity. This is a physical cleansing from dirt that comes out of the body. Therefore, the strong opinion among scholars is that IstinjΔ’ itself does not require a specific intention to be valid. Simply performing the act of cleaning the qubul and dubur until free of residual impurity, then the IstinjΔ’ is valid. It is similar to animal filth in the middle of the road that is washed away by rainwater until clean, which is sufficient to make the place that was originally mutanajjis (contaminated by impurity) become pure.
Therefore, the formula for the intention of IstinjΔβ or the wording of the intention of IstinjΔβ, as well as the intention of IstinjΔβ from urination or the intention of IstinjΔβ for relieving oneself of urine and feces, are not absolute requirements in the view of the majority of scholars. This is because the primary focus is achieving cleanliness from impurity.
The Law of Intention for IstinjΔ’ According to the Shafi’i School and Other Ulama
Although ijmΔβ (Consensus) of scholars states that istinjΔβ (Cleansing) does not require a specific intention, it is important to look at references from books of fiqh. One of them is the book Al-Hawi Al Kabir by Imam Mawardi, a great scholar of the Shafi’i school. Here is a relevant excerpt from the book:
The wording of the example from Al-Hawi Al Kabir volume 1 page 87:
ΩΨ§Ω Ψ§ΩΨ΄Ψ§ΩΨΉΩ Ψ±ΨΆΩ Ψ§ΩΩΩ ΨΉΩΩ : ΩΩΨ§ ΩΨ¬Ψ²Ψ¦ Ψ·ΩΨ§Ψ±Ψ© Ω Ω ΨΊΨ³Ω ΩΩΨ§ ΩΨΆΩΨ‘ Ψ₯ΩΨ§ Ψ¨ΩΩΨ© ΩΨ§ΨΨͺΨ¬ ΨΉΩΩ Ω Ω Ψ£Ψ¬Ψ§Ψ² Ψ§ΩΩΨΆΩΨ‘ Ψ¨ΨΊΩΨ± ΩΩΨ© Ψ¨ΩΩΩΩ : Ψ₯ΩΩ Ψ§ Ψ§ΩΨ£ΨΉΩ Ψ§Ω Ψ¨Ψ§ΩΩΩΨ§Ψͺ , ΩΩΨ§ ΩΨ¬ΩΨ² Ψ§ΩΨͺΩΩ Ω Ψ₯ΩΨ§ Ψ¨ΩΩΨ© ΩΩΩ Ψ§ Ψ·ΩΨ§Ψ±ΨͺΨ§Ω ΩΩΩΩ ΩΩΨͺΨ±ΩΨ§Ω
ΩΨ§Ω Ψ§ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΨ±Ψ―Ω : ΩΩΨ°Ψ§ ΩΩ Ψ§ ΩΨ§Ω : Ψ§ΩΨ·ΩΨ§Ψ±Ψ© ΨΆΨ±Ψ¨Ψ§Ω Ω Ω ΩΨ¬Ψ³ ΩΨΨ―Ψ«
ΩΨ£Ω Ψ§ Ψ·ΩΨ§Ψ±Ψ© Ψ§ΩΩΨ¬Ψ³ ΩΩΨ§ ΨͺΩΨͺΩΨ± Ψ₯ΩΩ ΩΩΨ© Ψ₯Ψ¬Ω Ψ§ΨΉΨ§ ΩΨ£Ω Ψ±ΩΩ
Ψ£ΨΨ―ΩΩ Ψ§ : Ψ£Ω Ψ₯Ψ²Ψ§ΩΨ© Ψ§ΩΩΨ¬Ψ§Ψ³Ψ© Ψ₯ΩΩ Ψ§ ΩΩ ΨͺΨΉΨ¨Ψ― Ω ΩΨ§Ψ±ΩΨ© ΩΨͺΨ±Ω Ψ ΩΨ§ΩΨͺΨ±ΩΩ ΩΨ§ ΨͺΩΨͺΩΨ± Ψ₯ΩΩ ΩΩΨ© ΩΨ³Ψ§Ψ¦Ψ± Ω Ψ§ Ψ£Ω Ψ± Ψ¨Ψ§Ψ¬ΨͺΩΨ§Ψ¨Ω ΩΩ ΨΉΨ¨Ψ§Ψ―Ψ§ΨͺΩ
ΩΨ§ΩΨ«Ψ§ΩΩ : Ψ£ΩΩ ΩΩ Ψ§ Ψ·ΩΨ± Ω Ψ§ Ψ£Ψ΅Ψ§Ψ¨ΨͺΩ Ψ§ΩΩΨ¬Ψ§Ψ³Ψ© Ω Ω Ψ§ΩΨ£Ψ±ΨΆ ΩΨ§ΩΨ«ΩΨ¨ Ψ¨Ω Ψ±ΩΨ± Ψ§ΩΨ³ΩΩ ΨΉΩΩΩ ΩΨ₯Ψ΅Ψ§Ψ¨Ψ© Ψ§ΩΩ Ψ§Ψ‘ ΩΩ ΨΉΩΩ Ψ£Ω Ψ§ΩΩΨ΅Ψ― ΩΩΩ ΨΊΩΨ± Ω ΨΉΨͺΨ¨Ψ± , ΩΨ£Ω Ψ§ΩΩΩΨ© ΩΩ Ψ₯Ψ²Ψ§ΩΨͺΩ ΨΊΩΨ± ΩΨ§Ψ¬Ψ¨Ψ©
ΩΨ£Ω Ψ§ Ψ·ΩΨ§Ψ±Ψ© Ψ§ΩΨΨ―Ψ« ΩΩΨ§ ΨͺΨ΅Ψ Ψ₯ΩΨ§ Ψ¨ΩΩΨ© Ψ³ΩΨ§Ψ‘ ΩΨ§ΩΨͺ Ψ¨Ω Ψ§Ψ¦ΨΉ ΩΨ§ΩΩΨΆΩΨ‘ ΩΨ§ΩΨΊΨ³Ω , Ψ£Ω Ψ¨Ψ¬Ψ§Ω Ψ― ΩΨ§ΩΨͺΨ±Ψ§Ψ¨ ΩΨ¨Ω ΩΨ§Ω Ω Ψ§ΩΩ , ΩΨ£ΨΩ Ψ― , ΩΨ₯Ψ³ΨΨ§Ω , ΩΨ¬Ω ΩΩΨ± Ψ£ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΨΨ¬Ψ§Ψ² . ΩΩΨ§Ω Ψ§ΩΨ£ΩΨ²Ψ§ΨΉΩ ΩΨ§ΩΨΨ³Ω Ψ¨Ω Ψ΅Ψ§ΩΨ Ψ§ΩΩΩΩΩ ΨͺΨ΅Ψ Ψ¨ΨΊΩΨ± ΩΩΨ© Ψ³ΩΨ§Ψ‘ ΩΨ§ΩΨͺ Ψ¨Ω Ψ§Ψ¦ΨΉ Ψ£Ω Ψ¬Ψ§Ω Ψ―1
Translation and Explanation:
(As explained in the previous section, the core point is) Imam al-Shafi’i obligates intention for wuαΈΕ«β, ghusl, and tayammum (all that remove ritual impurity) based on the αΈ₯adΔ«th of intention.
Imam Mawardi strengthened this view and explained that purification is divided into two: from impurity and from αΈ₯adath. Removing impurity does not require intention based on IjmΔ’ because its nature is to avoid and cleanse physical filth that can even disappear without human intention.
While purifying oneself from αΈ₯adath, intention is obligatory, and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars such as Imam Malik, Ahmad, Ishaq, and the majority of scholars of the Hijaz, although there is a minority opinion that permits it without intention.
From the excerpt above, it is clear that Imam Mawardi (from the Shafi’i school of thought) stated there is IjmΔ’ (consensus) that removing impurity does not require intention. IstinjΔ’, as the process of cleaning residual impurity after relieving oneself, falls into this category of removing impurity.
The Prayer After IstinjΔ’ or the Recitation During IstinjΔ’
Seeing the high number of searches for the keywords “intention of cleansing and short IstinjΔ’ prayer” on search engines, we feel the need to write an explanation about this matter. It should be known that, in fact, regarding the specific reading of the IstinjΔ’ prayer taught by the Prophet ο·Ί or the scholars to be read during cleansing itself, there is none.
However, some Muslims may recite general prayers before or after entering the bathroom or toilet, then categorize them as prayers for IstinjΔ’ of relieving oneself, both major and minor, causing many to search for the keyword “IstinjΔ’ prayer and its meaning” on search engines.
These supplications are usually the duas recited when entering and leaving the bathroom, or prayers seeking protection from Satan. Reciting them is recommended as a matter of etiquette, but they are not an obligatory part of the istinjΔΚΎ process itself.
Conclusion
Returning to the main question, is intention necessary for IstinjΔ’? Based on a review of the evidence and the opinions of scholars, including perspectives in the book Al-Hawi Al Kabir, IstinjΔ’ as a process of cleansing the impurity of bodily waste does not require a specific intention to be valid. The main focus in IstinjΔ’ is achieving cleanliness from impurity.
However, performing istinjΔ’ with the awareness that it is a part of maintaining cleanliness as commanded by religion is certainly better and carries a reward. Nevertheless, the absence of a specific intention for istinjΔ’ does not invalidate its validity.
The prayer after IstinjΔ’ (cleansing) that is commonly recited is the prayer upon exiting the toilet, not a specific prayer for IstinjΔ’ itself. The process of intending IstinjΔ’ is not a condition for the validity of purification from impurity.
And Allah knows best regarding correctness.
References & Footnotes
- AbΕ« al-αΈ€asan ΚΏAlΔ« ibn MuαΈ₯ammad ibn αΈ€abΔ«b al-MΔwardΔ«, al-αΈ€ΔwΔ« al-KabΔ«r fΔ« Fiqh Madhhab al-ImΔm al-ShΔfiΚΏΔ« wa Huwa SharαΈ₯ MukhtaαΉ£ar al-MuzanΔ«, ed. ΚΏAlΔ« MuαΈ₯ammad MuΚΏawwaαΈ and ΚΏΔdil AαΈ₯mad ΚΏAbd al-MawjΕ«d, 1st ed. (Beirut: DΔr al-Kutub al-ΚΏIlmiyyah, 1999), vol. 1, p. 87. β©οΈ
