Is it haram to face the qibla while using the toilet?
It depends on where you are. In an open area, facing the qibla or turning your back to it while relieving yourself is forbidden. Inside a built toilet, most scholars allow it, though avoiding it is better. The Hanafi school dislikes it even indoors, but it is not a sin if the layout cannot be changed.
What the Prophet ﷺ said
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If anyone of you goes to an open space for answering the call of nature he should neither face nor turn his back towards the Qibla; he should either face the east or the west" (Sahih al-Bukhari 144). Abu Hurairah reported a similar general warning: when anyone squats to relieve himself, he should neither turn his face toward the qibla nor his back to it (Sahih Muslim 265).
Respect for the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba, is the reason. It is the direction we turn to in worship, so we avoid facing or turning away from it when relieving ourselves.
What about inside a building?
Abdullah ibn Umar went up onto the roof of Hafsa's house and saw the Prophet ﷺ answering the call of nature facing Sham (Syria), with his back to the qibla (Sahih al-Bukhari 148). This is what scholars use to separate open ground from buildings.
- Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali: the ban applies in open spaces, and inside a building or a toilet room it is allowed.
- Hanafi: it is disliked everywhere, including indoors, and they take the report about the roof as a special case.
Many scholars add that it is still better to avoid facing the qibla indoors where you can.
What to do in Western homes
In most houses, offices, schools and airports, the toilet is already built facing some random direction, and you cannot change it. In that case:
- You are not sinning for using a toilet that is built that way, since in a building it is allowed by most scholars and Islam does not ask for what you cannot change.
- If you follow the Hanafi view, try to angle yourself away from the qibla if it is easy, but do not worry if you cannot.
- If you are renovating or choosing a flat, it is better to choose a layout where the toilet does not point straight toward or away from the qibla. In much of Europe the qibla is roughly south-east, and in most of the US it is roughly north-east.
Outdoors, camping and hiking
The advice to "face the east or the west" suited Medina, where the Kaaba lies to the south. In Europe and North America, the qibla is in a different direction, so the principle is to avoid the line toward Makkah and the opposite line. A qibla app or compass helps. See Can I use a qibla app to find the prayer direction?
The qibla and the other toilet manners are explained separately. See What is the qibla? and What are the Islamic manners of using the toilet?
- In the open, do not face or turn your back to the qibla (Sahih al-Bukhari 144).
- Inside a building, most scholars allow it (Sahih al-Bukhari 148); the Hanafis dislike it.
- You are not blamed for a toilet whose layout you cannot change.
- Outdoors, avoid the qibla line instead of simply facing east or west.
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