How to Know That Istinja’ Water Has Exited Urethra?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

1. While pouring water for istinja (female), the water may enter the urethra because of the pressure of the water. How can one know that water entered the urethra and came out since that breaks wudu and is impure? The private part and underwear are already wet due to istinja water, so I can’t tell except for assuming that most likely water entered because of pressure. However, I would like to know a logical answer.

2. Secondly, I’m confused regarding what to wash during istinja after urinating. I have heard that it’s only the outer part and I understand that the vaginal canal and stuff are not to be washed, however, is the area between the vaginal lips/labia minora that contains the vaginal and urethral “orifices” to be washed?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

1. No, the water remaining on your body after performing Istinja’ is not filthy. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

As you have mentioned, there is a (farfetched) possibility for this water to enter the urethra and exit it in a filthy state. But to dispel these misgivings, we simply have to return to the following legal principle:

“Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.” [Majalla]

Which is, in turn, based on the following verse of the Quran:

“Most of them follow nothing but conjectures. Surely, conjectures are of no avail in the matter of truth at all.” [Quran, 10:36] [Du’ass, al-Qawa’id al-Fiqhiya]

You know with certainty, before performing Istinja’, that your urethra is free from water. After performing Istinja’, you have doubts about whether or not water has entered your urethra. You are religiously bound to assume that this has NOT happened because of the principle above: “Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.” and you have the religious guarantee that your prayer will be valid after performing wudu.

Allah, Most High, says: “Allah does not obligate anyone beyond his capacity.” [Quran, 2:286]

2. The process of ensuring that there are no traces of urine at the point of exit is called Istibra’.

The duty to perform Istibra is only incumbent upon men. Women don’t have to perform Istibra, whether she is menstruating or not. A woman simply needs to wait for a little after urinating, and that’s it. Her prayer, after performing wudu, will be valid. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

As for Istinja, which is cleaning the rear point of exit by using water or stones (in our time, toilet paper), there are no differences between men and women, even if she is in a state of menstruation. The duty is the same. It is sunna to remove the filth at the exit point as long as the area covered by filth is less than a circle with a diameter of 5 cm. Toilet paper is enough for this, but water is better. If the filth crosses this circle, then it is obligatory to remove it with water. [Ibid.]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then, he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha’ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.