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What is istijmaar?

12-01-2001

Question 9645

What is istijmaar (lit. cleaning oneself with stones after eliminating urine or stools)? Is it proper istijmaar to clean oneself with tissues and water when on board a plane? What is the proper way to cleanse oneself? 

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Istijmaar means to cleanse the front or back passage of urine or stools using stones or something else in their place. One of the things that may take their place is tissue, but on the condition that one wipes no less than three times. And one should not use things that are forbidden to be used for istijmaar such as dung and bones, or things that have a kind of sanctity such as food etc. 

It is permissible to do istijmaar with or without water. The scholars said, it is better to use both, because that is cleaner. 

Cleaning oneself after defecating or urinating
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