Fatwa ID: 04640

Answered by: Alimah Fatima Begum

Assalamu Alaikum. Hazrat, I wanted to know if someone makes a habit of standing up to urinate out of laziness, does he become sinful?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

It was narrated that ‘Umar RadiAllahu Anhu said:

“The Messenger of Allah saw me urinating while standing, and he said: ‘O ‘Umar, do not urinate standing up.’ So I never urinated whilst standing after that.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Purification and its Sunnah, Hadith 308).

From the aforementioned Hadith, one can understand that to urinate standing is against the Sunnah, and Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam prohibited it.

If one has an excuse, however, i.e. illness etc. then he will be allowed.

Narrated HudhaifahRadiAllahuh Anhu: The Apostle of Allaah ( salallaahu alayhi wasallam ) came to a garbage place of some people and urinated while standing. He then asked for water and wiped his leather socks…
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Purification, Hadith 23)

In regard to this a few answers have been given:

• Hakim and Baihaqi have reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah RadiAllahu Anh that Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam urinated standing due to some pain/injury which was in the hollow of his knee.

• Scholars have explained that in the public dumping ground there was so much impurity that it was difficult for the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam to sit down and urinate.

• The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam urinated standing up to show that occasionally a person can urinate standing up. (Bayan Jawaz) (Raddul Muhtar p.557 v.1)

Ibn Abi Shaybah has brought in his ‘Musannaf’ reporting from Mujahid who said that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam never urinated standing except on one occasion which was at the garbage place.

To conclude, in the Hanafi Fiqh, to urinate standing without an excuse would be Makrooh Tanzihi. If one was to make a habit of it, it would be Makrooh Tahrimi. One would be sinful.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Fatima Begum

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham