Toilet Paper Is Sufficient, Water Is Better

Is cleaning yourself with stones or toilet paper (الاستجمار) enough for Wudhu?

Yes – but don’t tell your parents! They might kick you out of the house and call you a “Wahabi” 😂

Scholarly views:

1- Al-Baji Maliki says in ‘Al-Muntaqa’, (1/46):
أنه كان يستعمل الماء في الاستنجاء وقد كان سعيد بن المسيب وغيره من السلف يكرهون ذلك ويقول ابن المسيب إنما ذلك وضوء النساء
“He used to use water during Istinja.
This practice was disliked by Sa’eed Ibn al-Musayyib and others from the Salaf.
Ibn al-Mussayib used to say: “This is the Wudhu of women.”

2- Ibn Abi Shaybah narrates (1/143):
حدثنا حاتم بن إسماعيل، عن جعفر، عن نافع، قال: كان ابن عمر لا يستنجي بالماء
“Naafi’ said: Ibn Umar did not do Istinja with water.”

3- He also narrated:
حدثنا وكيع، عن مسعر، عن عبيد الله ابن القبطية، عن ابن الزبير؛ أنه رأى رجلاً يغسل عنه أثر الغائط، فقال: ما كنا نفعله
Ibn Zubayr saw someone doing Istinja with water, and he said: “This is not what we used to do.”

4- Ibn Qudamah narrates in ‘Al-Mughni’, (1/171):
قال عطاء : غسل الدبر محدث
Attaa said: “Washing the back passage is a new practice.”

5- He also narrates:
كان الحسن لا يستنجي بالماء
Hassan al-Basri did not do Istinja with water.

6- Ibn Qudaamah al-Hanbali said in ‘al-Mughni’ (1/206):
” وإن أراد الاقتصار على أحدهما فالماء أفضل ; لما روينا من الحديث ; ولأنه يطهر المحل , ويزيل العين والأثر , وهو أبلغ في التنظيف .
وإن اقتصر على الحجر أجزأه , بغير خلاف بين أهل العلم ; لما ذكرنا من الأخبار ; ولإجماع الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ” اهـ .
“If a person wants to do just one of them, then using water is better, because of the hadeeth that we have narrated, and because it purifies the place and removes the dirt itself and its traces, and is more cleansing.
But limiting oneself to stones only is sufficient, and there is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning that, because of the reports that we have mentioned and because that is the consensus of the Companions.”

7- Imam Nawawi says in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim (2/140):
فالذي عليه الجماهير من السلف والخلف وأجمع عليه أهل الفتوى من أئمة الأمصار : أن الأفضل أن يجمع بين الماء والحجر فيستعمل الحجر أولا لتخف النجاسة وتقل مباشرتها بيده ، ثم يستعمل الماء ، فإن أراد الاقتصار على أحدهما جاز الاقتصار على أيهما شاء سواء وجد الآخر أو لم يجده ، فيجوز الاقتصار على الحجر مع [ ص: 505 ] وجود الماء ، ويجوز عكسه ، فإن اقتصر على أحدهما فالماء أفضل من الحجر لأن الماء يطهر المحل طهارة حقيقة ، وأما الحجر فلا يطهره وإنما يخفف النجاسة ويبيح الصلاة مع النجاسة المعفو عنها . وبعض السلف ذهبوا إلى أن الأفضل هو الحجر ، وربما أوهم كلام بعضهم أن الماء لا يجزي ، وقال ابن حبيب المالكي : لا يجزي الحجر إلا لمن عدم الماء ، وهذا خلاف ما عليه العلماء من السلف والخلف وخلاف ظواهر السنن المتظاهرة . والله أعلم .
“What the majority of the Salaf and the Khalaf are upon and upon which there is a consensus of the people of Fatwaa of the different regions is that it is better to use both water and stones; so first to use stones to reduce the impurity and to avoid touching it directly by hand and then to use water.
However, if he wants to use one of them, he can choose which one he wants regardless of whether the other is present or not. It is allowed to use stones while there is water and the opposite is also true.
If he uses one of the two, water is better than stones, because water cleans really well, while stones do not clean really well. And it is permissible to perform prayer with this uncleanness and it is excused [by Allaah].
And some of the Salaf believed that stones were better, and perhaps this caused some to think water was not enough.
[On the other side] Ibn Habieb al-Maaliki said, “Stones are not enough except for the one who has no water.”
And this is contradictory to what the scholars of the Salaf and the Khalaf are upon and contradictory to the clear Sunnan (plural of Sunnah).
And Allaah knows best. ”

—————————————-

Conclusion:

As you can see, this is agreed upon by scholars.
This is not to say that Istinja (الاستنجاء) with water is wrong.
It is recommended to use water as it cleans better.
These statements of the Salaf were to show that (الاستجمار) (with stones/paper) was prevalent among the Salaf and that it is sufficient alone.
It doesn’t mean you’re dirty if you just use stones or paper.
You can do either of the two – but combining both is best.
The scholars do say that if the damage is big – water needs to be brought in……😬😂
But in principle – either one of the two will suffice.

Ps: I have seen people miss prayers, because they could not find a place to do Istinja, even though they had cleaned themselves with toilet paper already!
It’s important that people know these things.

Allaahu A’alam