Chapter 11

What to say when entering the lavatory

Remembrance 1
IT IS RECORDED in the two Ṣaḥīḥs that Anas Honorific symbol reported that on entering the lavatory the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol used to say: “O Allah, I seek Your protection from male and female devils.” [1].
Arabic text from the source edition
Allāhumma innī a‘ūdhu bika min al-khubuthi wa-l-khabā’ith.
One can say either al-khubuth with a u on the bā’ or a sukūn on it, and the ruling of those who repudiate the sukūn is not correct.
Remembrance 2
And we relate from another source that he would say: “In the name of Allah. O Allah, I seek Your protection from male and female devils.” [2].
Arabic text from the source edition
Bismillāh, Allāhumma innī a‘ūdhu bika min al-khubuthi wa-l-khabā’ith.
And we relate from ‘Alī Honorific symbol that the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol said: “What veils the private parts of the son of Adam from the eyes of the jinn when he enters the lavatory is to say: In the name of Allah.” [3].At-Tirmidhī narrated it but said that the isnād is not strong. We have already discussed the fact that meritorious acts (faḍā’il) can be done on the basis of weak narrations.
Our [Shāfi‘ī] colleagues hold that this dhikr is mustaḥabb whether one is in a building or outdoors. Our colleagues, may Allah have mercy upon them, also hold that one should first say In the name of Allah and then O Allah, I seek Your protection from male and female devils.
Remembrance 3
We relate from Ibn ‘Umar Honorific symbol that when the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol entered the lavatory he used to say: “O Allah, I seek Your protection from the filthy, impure, wicked and malicious Shayṭān the rejected.” [4].Ibn as-Sunnī narrated it, as did aṭ-Ṭabarānī in Kitāb ad-du‘ā’.
Arabic text from the source edition
Allāhumma innī a‘ūdhu bika mina-r-rijsi-n-najis, al-khabīthi-l-mukhbith, ash-Shayṭāni-r-rajīm.

References

[1] Al-Bukhārī (142) and Muslim (375).
[2] At-Tirmidhī (5), Abū Dāwūd (4), an-Nasā’ī (1/20), who gives a similar wording, and al-Futūḥāt (1/379). The basmalah at the beginning of this dhikr is reported by aṭ-Ṭabarānī, ad-Dāraquṭnī, and Ibn as-Sunnī.
[3] At-Tirmidhī (606), who also said that this is a gharīb hadith which is only known of through this route, and its chain is not strong. However, Ibn Ḥajar mentioned a supporting narration for it, reported by al-Bazzār.
[4] Ibn as-Sunnī (18), from Anas Honorific symbol. Ibn Ḥajar grades it as ḥasan gharīb.