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Iceman's avatar

Why don't Muslims use toilet paper?

Asked by Iceman (9points) March 3rd, 2008 from iPhone

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23 Answers

Patrick_Bateman's avatar

is this the beginning to some racially insensitive joke?

Maverick's avatar

people in some parts of the world do not use toilet paper due to a lack of trees. Religion is not a factor in any cases I’m aware of.

DS's avatar

some people don’t use toilet paper coz they can’t afford it. Others is because they don’t find rubbing ur bottom with paper does actually clean it properly. Last but not least how many trees has been cut down during one’s lifetime? Aren’t we saying that we must try not to waste so much.

segdeha's avatar

People in many countries use water and their left hand to clean themselves after defecating. It has nothing to do with being Muslim.

While I’m writing, I’ll make a prediction: the next question on Fluther is going to be “Why does Barack Obama not use toilet paper?” except the person asking will somehow relate it to jail-breaking their iPhone while asking someone out who clearly isn’t interested.

allen_o's avatar

maybe they want to be more green, or brown

paulc's avatar

@segdeha, OH SNAP!

This could be a new game: predict-a-fluther.

“How come my youtube video of barack obama throwing a puppy’s jailbroken iphone off a cliff after not using toilet paper makes me gay or does it please don’t say internet”

segdeha's avatar

@paulc, I like it!

artemisdivine's avatar

i will never give up toilet paper. i wont even GO if there is none. one time i had to hold it in for 7 hours as there was none. and so i did. yes i check every stall before going to ensure there is paper.

The Islamic faith has particular rules regarding personal hygiene when going to the toilet. This code is known as Qadaahul Haajah [1] and is extremely prescriptive. The rules were established during times before the invention of toilet paper or toilet seats. In many parts of the Muslim World, squat toilets are the norm and toilet paper remains rare and its use a matter of dispute.
http://ocaoimh.ie/2007/04/03/islamic-toilet-etiquette/

9. Do not carry your lota. Instead, become accustomed to toilet paper. Just remember that unlike Americans, the Europeans, being the cheap bastards that they are, tend to furnish cheaper sand paper in public facilities. Do not steal toilet paper from stalls. It is considered a capital offense in many western countries, punishable by having to consume pork sausages from both ends – of the perpetrator.
http://www.chowk.com/articles/10334

Comrade, there are more rituals for you, for example, when you visit toilet you must observe the following: (please note that for brevity’s sake I have included only the Hadis number for you to confirm)

Offer prayer before entering the lavatory. (Sahih Bukhari: 8.75.334)

Do not defecate facing the Qibla. (Sahih Muslim: 2.0504)

Do not use toilet paper; instead, use stones-at least three (odd numbers only). (Sahih Muslim 2.0458)

Do not touch penis with your right hand while urinating in the lavatory. (Sahih Bukhari 1.4.155)

After doing your business clean your backside with water; do not use right hand, use left hand. (Sahih Muslim: 2.0513)

As a final warning: do not expose your genitals to the sky, Allah may be offended, no joke (Sahih Bukhari: 7.72. 709).

http://www.islam-watch.org/AbulKasem/islamic_communist.htm

artemisdivine's avatar

AND GUESS WHAT… the world is running short of fresh water. so who is gonna solve that problem…

As far as toilet habits are concerned , muslims as well as non muslim people in water deprived countries use clean smooth stones or blank paper( without Allah`s name on it or any kind of religious writing)

to clean their private parts after using the toilet.
If water is freely available , water is used to ensure private parts are properly cleaned and washing HANDS AFTER IS A MUST!

OK, as far as potty training your kids in usa goes.. most muslims ( all generations have taught their kids to follow the principles of muslims regarding rules of cleanliness , but also to adapt to the american ( non -muslim) way..

What this means is. little muslim boys and girls are potty trained the regular way as other kids, using toilet paper , but told to also use a wet wipe ( flushable etc) after using toilet paper…after BOTH urination or defecation..

Some muslim familes also use a water vessel or muslim toilet shower for home use for themselves and kids…but muslim kids in america etc are taught that they have to adapt at school.. so at school and public bathrooms , they too use toilet paper and keep wet disposable wipes with them.. if wipes are not available they can wet a big wad of toilet paper and use that too.

if muslim kids are unable to do even that, then parents make sure that they take several baths all day to ensure that the kids are clean..
http://www.feelbaby.com/toddler-preschooler/422–1-toddler.html

WOW I THOUGHT GUYS JUST STOOD UP AND PEED INTO THEM… HOW WRONG

The Bidet: Not Just for Hairy European Women Anymore
In closing, one bit of advice: although a bidet may look just like a toilet after 11 beers, be advised that the bidet is for cleaning purposes only. One manufacturer warns that a bidet is “not [to be used] in any event for defecation, as it is not designed to accept solid waste.”
http://www.poopreport.com/Consumer/Content/Bidet/bidet.html?from=140&comments_per_page=140

spent a while in India (Calcutta, mostly), and asia. Most, (75 %, approx.) of the world’s population does not use toilet paper. You may say ick, (probably will), but read and put it in your mind to dig out later, if necessary. I brought tp with me to India, saying i would never resort to the alternative, and not quite believing that there really would not be any. Well, lets just say, that it is difficult to believe, but toilet paper has a way of just disappearing, and bodily functions do not.
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000Hrm

One of them being the need for Muslims to actually wash their asses with water, instead of using toilet paper. We can actually use toilet papers as well. Just that some nutter decided to waste water instead of trees. Think it’s a SYABAS led conspiracy.
http://thecicak.com/misrepresentation-of-islam-by-malaysian-religious-leaders/

worries's avatar

artemisdivine, if you got those hadiths from that website, they are incorrect. If toilet paper wasn;t invented, how can it be mentioned in the hadith.

Anyway,

Alot of folks don’t use toilet paper such as Indians, Indonesians, Filippinoes. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Western Muslims do use toilet paper. It has to do with culture. A lot of people would rather not spend money of fancy paper to wipe their behinds. More and more environmentally conscious people from the western world are starting to use water. Fact is, water cleans your bottom better. There is a reason why water is the universal solvent, and not paper.

As far as artemisdivine’s comment about us ‘running out of water’, we are running out of clean fresh water, not just water. We have plenty of water. But we are putting so much chemicals, pestecides, steroids in our water, that we can’t use it. As far as putting fecal matter in water, it can easily be removed. But pesticides and steroids can’t be. So if you have mutated kids tomorrow, its not because someone shit in your water, it is because some one sprayed it with harmful chemicals.

Response moderated
josh1233's avatar

Very simple answer -> put some mustard sauce on the floor and try as hell wiping it off with toilet paper, some would always remain, atleast the smell of it.

Now do the same thing again but instead wipe it with water. See the difference ?

Wiping something with just a tissue is least effective when compared to water and/or soap plus water.

And I’m not saying you gotta wipe your shit off using your hand, you can simply use jets – a hand shower like small device which u can point towards ur asshole and tada – you have your ass brand new.

It’s much better than toilet paper where you have to wait till you take a bath again for your ass to stop stinking of shit.

Response moderated
Pinkyfinger's avatar

The use of toilet paper is wasteful, at least as it is commonly practiced. The efficient use is: 1. Fold 1 sheet of toilet paper diagonally and then fold it perpendicular to the original fold to obtain a triangular shape. (2) tear off a small (approx. 1 cm) piece at the place where there are no loose edges (the apex of the triangle) (3) Extend the pinky of your left hand and slide it through the opening just made so that the triangle makes a sort of ‘cone’ around it; (4) Slide your pinky into your anus – all the way so that the paper firmly touches the skin surrounding it; (5) Slide your pinky out of your anus; (6) Use your other hand to firmly grip the paper the base of your pinky and pull your pinky through, so that it is wiped clean by the paper; (7) Slide the paper, with waste only inside the ‘cone’ off your pinky and discard. And the triangle of paper you tore from the original cone? That is for cleaning the pinky fingernail!

jackkk9's avatar

Do not use toilet paper; instead, use stones-at least three (odd numbers only). (Sahih Muslim 2.0458)
the hadith is nott corect,the correct version is “use more than 3 stones.” try getting hadiths for their source not weird websites.lol

rus's avatar

Its nothing to do with the religion but the culture. The Christians/Hindus/ Budhdhist dont use toilet papers either in most areas in Indian Sub Continent and others many countries. All of them use water as water gives more clean feeling than paper. TP costs water doesnt.

Response moderated
russjd's avatar

Before the advent of such a trivial invention like the ‘toilet paper’, humans would use whatever was attainable.

This would range from leaves and moss, to the physical use of ones hand.

In the Middle East, the people would use their left hand and a little water to wipe.
This is why in Islamic and Arab lands, it is offensive to greet someone with your left hand.

The Romans were known to use a sponge on a stick. It would have sat next to the toilet in a bowl of salted water and replaced whenever it had reached its fullest potential.

Oddly enough, the Greeks would use clay, the Eskimos would use moss and Europeans would have used anything to hand; leaves, moss, grass, etc.
The Vikings are known to have used wool, so that to would have been used widespread through Europe.

It was the Chinese who invented the first toilet paper as we know it in the 14th Century.

I, for one, am glad they did.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_did_people_use_before_they_had_toilet_paper#ixzz1Fft1pK60

15% world population uses/afford toilet paper! That’s a-lot of folks who don’t!

Response moderated (Writing Standards)
Aamfs's avatar

They wash their down there , using water . _ .

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