Among the proper manners for a person who is traveling and needs to relieve himself is that he should go far enough away to be concealed from his companions. Abū Dāwūd narrated from al-Mughīrah ibn Shubah: “Whenever the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—wished to relieve himself, he would go away until no one could see him.”1

It is also from the Sunnah not to raise one’s garment until one is close to the ground. Abū Dāwūd narrated from Ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both: “Whenever the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—needed to relieve himself, he would not raise his garment until he was close to the ground.”2

It is also from the Sunnah to conceal oneself from people. Abd Allah ibn Jafar—may Allah be pleased with him—said, as recorded in Sahih Muslim: “When relieving himself, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—most liked to conceal himself behind a mound or a thicket of date palms.”3

Among the proper manners is not to urinate on roads used by people. In Sahih Muslim, Abū Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Beware of the two acts that provoke curses.” They asked, “What are the two acts that provoke curses, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “A person relieving himself on people’s pathways or where they seek shade.”4

Abū Dāwūd also narrated in his Sunan from Muādh ibn Jabal—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Beware of the three acts that provoke curses: defecating at watering places, on the traveled part of a road, and in the shade.”5 Watering places are the paths leading to water.