Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam urinated while standing

إن النبي كان يبول واقفا

Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam urinated while standing.

Do you despise urinating while standing on one hand but on the other hand permit the penis becoming filthy with the stool of a woman as you have permitted anal sex?

Standing and urinating has been declared permissible according to the Shia.

The Shia narrate from al Sadiq that he was asked about urinating while standing and replied:

لا بأس به

There is no problem with it.[1]

سئل أبو عبد الله أيبول الرجل و هو قائم قال نعم

Abu ‘Abdullah was asked, “May a man urinate while standing?”

He replied in the affirmative.[2]

If the reason for you having reservations for this is the possibility of the splashes of urine touching the clothes, then take a look at the verdict of the Ahlul Bayt for the permissibility of the head being soiled with urine.

قال زرارة قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام إن قلنسوتي وقعت في بول فاخذتها فوضعتها على رأسي ثم صليت فقال لا بأس

Zurarah says, “I said to Abu ‘Abdullah, ‘My headgear fell into urine. I picked it up, placed it on my head, and performed salah in that condition.’

He replied, ‘No problem.’”

Al Khu’i has included the narration in the Muwathaqah wa Sahihah Zurarah (the reliable and authentic narrations of Zurarah).[3]

Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam never urinated while standing in his home or the place where Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha would be present at. He only urinated standing at those places where he could not sit properly either due to a slope, or mud, or filth. In a similar way, the place where Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw Sayyidina Hudhayfah standing and urinating was the dump/sewerage of the locality, so he could not sit there due to the impurities around. The rulings of necessity differ from the rulings of regular circumstance.[4]

We ask: Is it loathsome intellectually or religiously? That which the Shari’ah has permitted will be permissible although the temperament of man may have reservations for it like divorce and jihad. On the flip side, whatever Allah has declared impermissible will remain forbidden no matter how satisfying it is to the carnal self like fornication and its sister Mut’ah.

Allah―the Sublime― proclaims:

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوْا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوْا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.[5]

Do they despise this act due to the possibility of splashes of urine falling on the one relieving himself? At the same time, the Shia pass the verdict of purity of one who has been soiled with urine mixed with another liquid. They narrate from Hisham ibn al Hakam (leader of the mujassimin):

عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في ميزابين سالا أحدهما بول و الآخر ماء المطر فاختلطا فأصاب ثوب رجل لم يضر ذلك

It is reported from Abu ‘Abdullah that he passed verdict that if two gutters are flowing, one containing urine and the other containing rain water, and they mix and fall onto the clothes of a man, it will not harm him (i.e. his clothes will remain pure).[6]

Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha narrates that at her place, she only saw Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam urinating while sitting. She narrated as she saw and she is truthful. On the other hand, Sayyidina Hudhayfah radiya Llahu ‘anhu was with Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam when the latter went to the sewerage of the locality and urinated while standing. So everyone narrated what he saw and both are truthful. However, the truthful affirmer is given precedence over the truthful rejecter.

Lastly, when the urine and excreta of the A’immah according to you is odourless and not impure and their wind smells like musk, then why do you despise Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam action? If he stands and urinates, pure urine comes out since he is the father of the A’immah. Is his urine not more deserving of being pure? Have your scholars not said, “There is no filth, odour, or impurity in the urine and excreta of the A’immah. Rather, they are like sweet smelling musk. In fact, the person who consumes their urine, excreta, and blood will be forbidden for the Fire and guaranteed entry into Jannat.”[7]

Next⇒ Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would visit all of his wives with one ghusl

[1] Al Kafi vol. 6 pg. 500; Wasa’il al Shia vol. 1 pg. 352, vol. 2 pg. 77; al Fadil al Hindi: Kashf al Litham vol. 1 pg. 23 and 229; Muhammad Sa’id al Hakim: Misbah al Minhaj vol. 2 pg. 151.

[2] Tahdhib al Ahkam vol. 1 pg. 353; Wasa’il al Shia vol. 1 pg. 352.

[3] Al Khu’i: Kitab al Taharah vol. 2 pg. 461, vol. 3 pg. 112.

[4] Ta’wil Mukhtalaf al Hadith pg. 92.

[5] Surah al Baqarah: 216.

[6] Al Muhaqqiq al Hilli: al Mu’tabar vol. 1 pg. 43.

[7] Ayatollah al Akhund Mulla Zayn al ‘Abdin al Kalbayikani (d. 1409 A.H.): Anwar al Wilayah pg. 440.

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