QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: is it permissible for one to perform salaah in such a shower room which does not have a toilet within it because when I am at work there is no other place available to pray salaah other than this and there is no fear/danger of this place becoming impure?
Questioner: Adnan from UK
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
If it is possible then it is better to have another place prepared to perform salaah because performing salaah in the public bathroom/bath-houses (حمّام) is prohibited (منع).
As cited in Abu Dawud Shareef, on the authority of Sayyidunaa Abu Sa’eed رَضِيَ الله تَعَالٰى عَنْه that the Merciful Prophet َصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهِ وَ سَلَّم stated:
“اَلاَرْضُ كُلُّهاَ مَسْجِدٌ، اِلَّا الحَمَّامَ و المَقْبَرَةَ”
Translation: “The entire earth/land is a place for salaah to be performed except the public bathroom/bath-house and the graveyard.”
(سنن ابي داؤد باب في المواضع التي لا تجوز فيها الصلاة. رقم 492)
As well as this, it is Makrooh (Disliked) to perform salaah in bathrooms or public bathrooms. As stated in Durr e Mukhtaar with Radd ul Muhtaar:
” وَ كَذَا تُكْرَهُ فِي أَمَاكِنَ كَفَوق كَعْبَةٍ وَ فِي طَرِيقٍ وَ مَزْبَلَةٍ وَ مَجْزَرَةٍ وَ مَقْبَرَةٍ وَ مُغتسل و حمّام “
” حمام لمعنيين: أحدهما أنه مصب الغسالات و الثاني أنه بيت الشياطين “
(Durr e Mukhtaar with Radd ul Muhtaar, Kitaabus Salaah ج 2 ص 52-55)
It is also stated in Bahaar e Shari’at:
Performing salaah in public bathrooms/bath-houses, places where sewage goes, specific places/barns where camels are tied, stables, roofs of toilets and not placing Sutrah (barrier) in such courtyards where there is fear that people will pass in front of him, in all these places performing salaah is Makrooh (Disliked).
[Bahare Shari’at vol.1, part 3, page 637]
However, if there is no other place to perform salaah, and the owners of the company do not give permission to pray in any other place then to perform salaah in this place is permissible without it being classified as Makrooh (Disliked), on the condition that the place is pure because for the place of prayer to be pure is a condition of salaah, otherwise salaah will not be valid.
The discussion regarding the conditions of salah is mentioned in Bahaar e Shari’at:
“Moreover, the clothes of the one performing salaah and the place in which salaah is to be performed should be FREE from any physical impurity that reaches such an amount which prevents salaah from being valid.”
[Bahare Shari’at vol.1, part 3, page 476]
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Bilal Shabir
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0526] Is it permissible to pray Salah in a shower room?