The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade making Istinjā’ (purification after answering the call of nature) with dung or bones

Arabic text

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنه قَالَ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى أَنْ يُسْتَنْجَى بِرَوْثٍ أَوْ عَظْمٍ، وَقَالَ: «إِنَّهُمَا لَا تُطَهِّرَانِ».

Translation

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade making Istinjā’ (purification after answering the call of nature) with dung or bones, and said: "They do not purify."

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade anyone who relieves himself, whether by urinating or defecating, from using animal bones or dung and dry animal waste for cleaning, and he said: They do not remove the impurity, nor do they purify it.

Benefits

• Explanation of some of the etiquettes of relieving oneself and performing Istinjā’.
• Prohibition of using dung for Istijmār (dry cleansing), because it is either impure or because it is the food of the jinn's animals.
• Prohibition of using bones for Istijmār, because it is either impure or because it is the food of the jinn themselves.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Purification
• Toilet Manners