What is istinja?
Istinja is cleaning your private parts with water after using the toilet. It removes any traces of urine or stool so your body and clothes are clean for prayer. Wiping with toilet paper (called istijmar) also counts, and many Muslims use paper first and then water.
What istinja means
Istinja is an everyday part of Muslim hygiene, not a special ritual. There are no set words to say during it and no intention like the one for wudu. You do it after passing urine or stool, so that no impurity (najasah) stays on your body. Passing wind doesn't need istinja at all; it only breaks your wudu.
The Quran praises people who care about this kind of cleanliness:
Many scholars linked this verse to the people of Quba, who were known for washing with water after the toilet.
How to do it
- Use your left hand. The Prophet ﷺ forbade cleaning with the right hand, and he also forbade wiping with fewer than three stones (Sahih Muslim 262).
- Wipe, then wash. If you like, wipe first with toilet paper, then pour or spray water and wash until the area feels clean.
- Paper only? Use an odd number of wipes, at least three, until it's clean.
- Wash your hands with soap afterwards, and avoid splashing urine onto your clothes.
Water, paper or both?
Anas said that when the Prophet ﷺ went to relieve himself, he and another boy would carry a container of water, and the Prophet ﷺ washed himself with it (Sahih al-Bukhari 150). All four schools accept paper alone when it leaves you clean, but water is better, and using both is best. In Europe and the USA most people use a small watering can (lota), a refillable bottle or a bidet attachment. See Do Muslims have to use water instead of toilet paper?
Why it matters
The Prophet ﷺ once passed two graves and said one of the people buried there was being punished because he didn't protect himself from his urine (Sahih al-Bukhari 218). That isn't meant to scare you, just to show that basic toilet hygiene is part of faith. Be careful, but don't overdo it: rewashing again and again is a door to waswas. See What is waswas and how do I deal with it?
Istinja comes before wudu, and it isn't part of wudu itself. If you're at school or work, a small bottle makes both easy. See How do I make wudu in a school bathroom?
- Istinja means cleaning the private parts after urine or stool.
- Use the left hand; water is best, paper alone is valid.
- Passing wind needs wudu, not istinja.
- Be careful with urine, but don't let doubts take over.
People also ask
Is blood najis?
Yes, most scholars say flowing blood is najis, but small amounts from cuts, pimples or bites are excused, and blood left in halal meat is pure.
Read the full answer →Can Muslims wear pigskin leather?
Most scholars say Muslims should avoid pigskin leather, since tanning doesn't purify pig hide. See the school views and how to spot pigskin.
Read the full answer →Do I have to make wudu for every prayer?
No, you don't need a new wudu for every prayer. One wudu lasts until it breaks, though renewing it for each prayer is a rewarded sunnah.
Read the full answer →How much water should I use for wudu?
Use just enough water for wudu to wet each part, ideally under a litre. The Prophet used about one mudd, and wasting water is disliked.
Read the full answer →Can I make wudu with seawater or pool water?
Yes, you can make wudu with seawater, which the Prophet called pure, and with clean chlorinated pool water. When water is not valid for wudu.
Read the full answer →