Covering the head during relieving oneself

Prayer for using the restroom (bathroom)

✅Answer: Pay attention to the following narrations:

1 کَانَ الصَّادِقُ علیه السلام إِذَا دَخَلَ الْخَلَاءَ یُقَنِّعُ رَأْسَهُ وَ یَقُولُ فِی نَفْسِهِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبِّ أَخْرِجْ عَنِّی الْأَذَی سَرْحاً بِغَیْرِ حِسَابٍ وَ اجْعَلْنِی لَکَ مِنَ الشَّاکِرِینَ فِیمَا تَصْرِفُهُ عَنِّی مِنَ الْأَذَی وَ الْغَمِّ الَّذِی لَوْ حَبَسْتَهُ عَنِّی هَلَکْتُ لَکَ الْحَمْدُ اعْصِمْنِی مِنْ شَرِّ مَا فِی هَذِهِ الْبُقْعَةِ وَ أَخْرِجْنِی مِنْهَا سَالِماً وَ حُلْ بَیْنِی وَ بَیْنَ طَاعَةِ الشَّیْطَانِ الرَّجِیمِ.

📚 Al-Faqih, vol.1, p.17

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), when entering the restroom, would cover his head and quietly say to himself:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبِّ أَخْرِجْ عَنِّی الْأَذَی سَرْحاً بِغَیْرِ حِسَابٍ وَ اجْعَلْنِی لَکَ مِنَ الشَّاکِرِینَ فِیمَا تَصْرِفُهُ عَنِّی مِنَ الْأَذَی وَ الْغَمِّ الَّذِی لَوْ حَبَسْتَهُ عَنِّی هَلَکْتُ لَکَ الْحَمْدُ اعْصِمْنِی مِنْ شَرِّ مَا فِی هَذِهِ الْبُقْعَةِ وَ أَخْرِجْنِی مِنْهَا سَالِماً وَ حُلْ بَیْنِی وَ بَیْنَ طَاعَةِ الشَّیْطَانِ الرَّجِیمِ.

2 عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَنَخَّعَ وَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ النَّاسُ غَطَّى رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ دَفَنَهُ وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْزُقَ فَعَلَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَ كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ الْكَنِيفَ غَطَّى رَأْسَهُ

📚 Al-Ja‘fariyat, p.13

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his father, from his ancestors, from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), when among people and wanting to expel phlegm from his chest, would cover his head and then bury it under the soil. When he wanted to spit, he would do the same, and when he intended to relieve himself and go to the restroom, he would also cover his head (that is, cover his head)!

3 عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فِي وَصِيَّتِهِ لَهُ قَالَ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ اسْتَحِ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي وَ الَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَأَظَلُّ حِينَ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْغَائِطِ مُتَقَنِّعاً بِثَوْبِي اسْتِحْيَاءً [أَسْتَحی] مِنَ الْمَلَكَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ مَعِي يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ- فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فِدَاكَ أَبِي وَ أُمِّي قَالَ فَاقْصُرِ الْأَمَلَ وَ اجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ نُصْبَ عَيْنِكَ وَ اسْتَحْيِ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ.

📚 Amali al-Tusi, vol.2, p.147

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), in his will to Abu Dharr, said: O Abu Dharr! Be mindful of Allah! By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, whenever I go to relieve myself, out of modesty before the two angels accompanying me, I always cover my head with my clothing!

O Abu Dharr! Do you wish to enter Paradise?!

Abu Dharr said: I said: Yes! May my parents be sacrificed for you!

He said: Then shorten your desires, keep death in your mind’s eye (i.e., always remember death), and be modest before Allah in the manner that true modesty requires....!

✅According to the above narrations and others, covering the head with clothing or something else when relieving oneself and entering the restroom was among the traditions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and it is appropriate for us to follow it so that we may benefit from the various blessings contained in it, God willing.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ