Dirty Dishes	Dirty Dishes Archive

Dawn is amazed what one can find on the net. What attitudes do orthodox Muslims have about shit, excreta, and toilet habits, you ask? Browse on over the web site for the Islamic University of Malaysia and you'll find the following (thank god farting-- quietly and sweetly-- in your sleep is allowed and that wiping your ass with human bones is not):

"Concept of hadath: Hadath (excreta) abrogates/nullifies wudhu. A Muslim must be in a state of ablution, wudhu, all the time. Hadath is of three types: flatus, riih al dubr, stool, ghait or buraaz, and urine, bawl. In cases of occurrence of hadath, ibadat is not possible before cleansing, taharat. The following acts of ibadat are specifically forbidden: prayer, salat, prostration during Qur'anic recitation, sajdat al tilawat, prostration for thanksgiving, sujuud al shukr, circumbulation of the ka'aba, tawaaf, carrying the mushaf, haml al mushaf. Carrying is allowed of books that contain Qur'anic verses provided the verses are not more than 50% of the material. Exceptions are allowed for children who have to study the Qur'an and are not able to maintain ablution all the time. Sleep abrogates wudu because flatus may be passed during sleep and the person is not aware. Flatus is always passing but in small quantities that should be ignored. The only amount of flatus that is taken seriously is when a clear sound is heard or when there is a smell. Non-human excreta: Excreta of animals is treated as human excreta.

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"Concept of najasat: Najasat refers to stool (ghait), urine (bawl), blood (dam), pus (qayh), vomitus (qay'i), intoxicants (khamr), moisture of dogs (kalb), moisture of pig (khanzir), prostatic fluid (madhi), and urethral fluid (wadi). In general solids are not najasat because when touched nothing is transferred from them (al jaf bi al jaaf tahirun bila khilaaf). Smoke from burning of a najasat material is also najasat. The human, dead or alive, is not najasat but can be contaminated with najasat especially if he does not follow the Islamic hygienic code. Human sexual discharges: the male seminal fluid and the female sexual discharge are not najasat. Milk, human or non-human, is also not najasat. A distinction must be made between najasat which must always be cleaned and without which acts of ibadat are not valid and other causes of filth such as sweat that have to be washed away anyway. Thus not everything that has to be washed is considered najasat. Non-najasat material that could encourage infection should not be left unwashed on the argument that it was nor specifically mentioned as najasat. Both najasat and non-najasat material must be cleaned away; the difference is that the former nullifies wudhu but the latter does not. The term najasat, like taharat, has both a physical and moral dimension. The discussion above refers to the physical najasat (najasat hissiyat). The moral dimension, najasat ma'nawiyat, is discussed elsewhere.

"Excreta disposal (qadhau al haajat): Relieving one-self of body wastes is a physiological necessity. It however must be done in such a way that infection and toxic material will not pollute the environment or cause harm to humans and other living things. Proper excreta disposal also has a social purpose of making sure there are no bad smells when the waste products putrefy. Proper excreta disposal also has an aesthetic dimension to make sure that the environment is pleasing to look at. Isitnjah refers to cleansing oneself of all traces of the excreta. Cleansing is needed for stool and urine but not for flatus. In case of flatus, no physical cleaning is necessary in the anal area; only the wudhu is repeated.

"Materials for istinjah: Water and solid cleansers are used. The solids may be paper, stones, or other plant material. Human bones and material known to be najasat are not allowed. A solid is used first followed by water. Water is the universal and best cleanser. Other liquids like milk or vinegar can not be used for cleansing. Water that has been used already in wudhu or cleaning najasat, mau musta'mal, is not usable in istinjah because it could transfer infection. Water that has any filth dumped into it can not be used for cleansing if it is less than 216 liters (kullatain).

"Toilette Etiquette (adab qadhau al haajat): Islam has taught toilet etiquette to protect both human dignity and also prevent infection. The following are forbidden: facing the qibla, facing Jerusalem al quds, conversation in the toilet, use of golden or silver vessels, and use of vessels belonging to persons whose hygienic standards can not be ascertained. It is recommended that the toilet be in an isolated place, (al khala), to use the left hand so that the right hand is used only for feeding thus preventing transfer of infection, to enter the toilet with the left foot and to exit with the right foot, and to expose the minimum of nakedness as necessary even if no other human is in the vicinity. Excretion is forbidden on the road, shades where people sit, and on the banks of rivers. The toilet is an undesirable place. Stay in it must be as short as possible and the stay should never be prolonged beyond need. Shoes or sandals must be worn to prevent the feet from being soiled by filth. A dua must be recited on entering on entering and expression of gratitude to Allah must be recited on exiting."

Dawn means no disrepect to Islam by quoting such toilet rules; a detailed recitation of Judeo-Christian attitudes about hadath would similarly entertain. And Dawn appreciates that such rules have multi-purposed, cultural import. It is odd, though, that clerics of whatever cloth think God, Yaweh, or Allah gives a shit about such shit....