Cleansing one's self after urinating
19-10-2005 | IslamWeb
Question:
I came to know from a book compiled by an Islamic scholar that the best way (for men) to be purified after passing urine. It is described that passing urine by standing is Haraam and after passing we have to use absorbent (like tissue paper or piece of cotton rags or dry solid mud, etc.. as per availability which can absorb the drop of urine) and have to give time to absorb last drop of urine. Time to be given is equivalent to 40 normal walking steps. I have observed that most of the pious people are following this procedure and I myself also following the same but one of my friend is having arguments in this regard and saying no need to use absorbent like tissues or cotton rags, etc.; no need to give time as described above. Washing with water is enough. But after simple washing drop of urine can fall on clothes and it will be impure which is an obligation of the prayer mean clothes must be pure otherwise pray is not valid.
My question above said procedure is according to Sunnah or not. My request gives answer “yes” or “not” and then please gives reference from Hadeeth.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
We have already issued Fatwa 84910 on the ruling of urinating while standing, and Fataawa 84603 and 85740 on the method of cleansing after defecation.
Saying "it is obligatory to use an absorbent of urine", the answer is that if you mean that one is obliged to use this either after or before cleansing with water after urinating, then, as far as we know, no scholar is of the view that it is an obligation to use both water and stones or the like after urinating. As regards saying that "one should wait for a time that is equivalent to forty steps", the answer is that there is no specific period for this. What is religiously required, though, is to wait until one has finished relieving himself. As far as we know, there is no evidence neither in the Book of Allaah nor in the Sunnah of the Prophet 
about the steps that some people make, the coughing and the like; if you meant that every individual person is obliged to do so.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah
was asked: 'Does a person, when cleansing himself after urinating, need to stand up, walk, cough and cleanse himself with stones after every now and then when going and coming, thinking that something might have come out of him? Did the pious predecessors 
do so? Is it an innovation or it is permissible?'
He answered: 'All perfect praise be to Allaah, coughing after urinating, walking and jumping, climbing the ladder, or hanging on a rope, and checking the penis by pressing it, and so forth, all this are innovations; it is not obligatory for a person to do so, and this is not desirable according to the Muslim scholars
. Urine comes out by itself and when it finishes, it stops by itself, it is said that it is like the udder, if you milk it, milk will flow out, and if you leave it, milk stays inside the udder. So when a person starts urinating, urine comes out and if he does not urinate, urine stays inside. As regards a person who suffers from incontinence of urine, i.e. his urine flows out without his control, such person should take a bondage to prevent urine. However, if the urine stops for a period of time that is enough for him to perform ablution and pray, then he has to do so, otherwise he prays in this condition even with the flow of urine.'
With regard to a person who suffers from penile emissions after cleansing himself, Imaam An-Nawawi said: 'This differs according to people, the point is that one should make sure that nothing remains in the penis which one fears will come out. Some people press their penis slightly to get rid of any urine that might remain, and some people need to repeat this more than once, while some other people do not need to do this at all. In any case, this matter should not lead a person to have whispers.'
Allaah Knows best.