Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
The Dua for exiting the toilet has been narrated in an authentic Hadith as غُفْرَانَكَ ‘Ghufranaka.’ An addition of الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي has been narrated in weak Hadith narrations.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنَ الْخَلَاءِ، قَالَ: «غُفْرَانَكَ». هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ
(Sayidah) Ayeshah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) said, when the Prophet ﷺ would exit the lavatory he ﷺ would say, غُفْرَانَكَ ‘Ghufranaka.’ This is a Hasan Ghareeb Hadith. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 7).
This Hadith is also in Abu Dawood (30), Ibn Maja (300), Ahmad (25220) and many other Hadith collections. As seen above Imam al-Tirmidhi considered the Hadith to be Hasan. Imam al-Nawawi verified the authenticity of this Hadith in al-Adhkaar. Therefore, we can say it is authentically narrated that the Dua for exiting the toilet is غُفْرَانَكَ ‘Ghufranaka.’ This is soundly established from the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
ثبت في الحديث الصحيح في سنن أبي داود والترمذي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقول: غُفْرَانَك. (الأذكار)
It is established in a Sahih Hadith in the Sunan of Abi Dawood and Tirmidhi that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say ‘Ghufranaka.’ (Imam al-Nawawi, al-Adhkaar).
Imam al-Nawawi made this comment in his book ‘al-Adhkaar’ in the chapter of ‘what to say when exiting the lavatory.’ Therefore, he considers the narrations in Abi Dawood and Tirmidhi to be Sahih.
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: ” كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنَ الْخَلَاءِ، قَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي
(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said: whenever the Prophet ﷺ exited the toilet, he would say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي
Praise be to Allah Who has removed harm from me and kept me in health. (Ibn Maja 301).
This Dua has also been narrated by Imam al-Nasai (9825) on the authority of Sayidina Abi Dharr. According to Imam al-Nawawi both narrations are weak:
حديث أَبِي ذَرٍّ هَذَا ضَعِيفٌ رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ عَمَلُ الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ مِنْ طُرُقٍ بَعْضُهَا مَرْفُوعٌ وَبَعْضُهَا مَوْقُوفٌ عَلَى أَبِي ذَرٍّ وَإِسْنَادُهُ مُضْطَرِبٌ غَيْرُ قَوِيٍّ وَرَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِإِسْنَادٍ ضعيف قال الترمذي لا يعرف فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ إلَّا حَدِيثُ عَائِشَةَ وَأَمَّا حَدِيثُ عَائِشَةَ فَصَحِيحٌ رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَرَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ قَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ. (المجموع شرح المهذب)
This Hadith of (Sayidina) Abi Dharr is weak. It was narrated by al-Nasai in his book ‘Amal al-Yom wa al-Laylah’ with a number of chains. Some of them were Marfoo (prophetic Hadith) and some were Mowqoof (statement of a Sahabi) to Abu Dharr, the chain was Mudtarib and not strong. It was also narrated by Ibn Maja from (Sayidina) Anas, from the Prophet ﷺ, with a weak chain. (Imam) al-Tirmidhi said, nothing is known (established) regarding this issue except for the Hadith of (Sayidah) Ayeshah, which was narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja and Nasai in ‘Amal al-Yom wa al-Laylah.’ (Imam) al-Tirmidhi said it is a Hasan Hadith. (Imam al-Nawawi, al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhab).
Although the narrations are weak, that does not mean the Hadith is rejected. Rather one is permitted to use weak Hadith for certain aspects of the Deen, including recommended supplications. Therefore, it is permitted to narrate the above Dua as recommended when exiting the toilet. For a more detailed discussion on the issue of weak Hadith, see the link below.
When you bring the Hadith narrations together, you find the recommended Dua when exiting the toilet is:
غُفْرَانَكَ
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (07.04.2022)
See also:
Using weak Hadith
Dua when entering the toilet
See also video:
