If you do not use water for istinja is salah invalid? I have done istinja with toilet paper for some years now.

Question

I used to be told that istinja can only be done with water, but then I read in a book 'bidiyat al-mujtahid' by Mohammad ibn Rushd; 'that anything clean can remove impurities whether it is fluid or a solid, and whatever the effected object'. This was the opinion of Abu Hanifa and his disciples. When I read this whenever I did istinja I used toilet paper and then did wudu in order to pray. But some people say that istinja can only be done with water (this was also the view of Malik and Shafi). 1) Was my salah valid and is it permissible to use toilet paper even if water is available? 2) Is istinja obligatory whenever you need to pray? Do you have to go to the toilet even if you do not need to, and to wash the private parts with water and then do wudu?

Mufti Ebrahim Desai · Accepted Answer

Respected Brother-in-Islam

Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu

1. It will be sufficient to cleanse oneself after Istinjaa only with toilet paper if the impurity did not spread beyond the private parts equivalent to a Dirham the diameter of which is 2.75 cm. (Ahsanul Fataawa vol.2 pg.89; HM Saeed)
2. The purpose is to remove the impurities and if that was done, all your Salaats will be valid.
3. It is not necessary to wash the private parts before performing Wudhu in order for the Wudhu to be valid.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.

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