90 – Suraqah b. Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us, when in the lavatory, to sit on the left foot and keep the right foot erect.” It was narrated by al-Bayhaqī with a weak chain (1).
Hadith grading:
The ḥadīth is weak. Imām al-Nawawī stated in al-Majmūʿ (2/89): “The ḥadīth is weak and cannot be used as legal proof, yet the meaning remains valid and the report may be cited for corroboration.” In al-Talkhīṣ he added: “It was transmitted by al-Ṭabarānī and al-Bayhaqī through the route of a man from Banū Mudlij narrating from his father, and the chain contains an unidentified narrator. Ḥāzimī said: ‘We know of no other report on this subject.’ Ibn al-Rifʿah claimed that there is a narration from Anas; this should be examined.” End quote.
Vocabulary of the ḥadīth:
– al-khalāʾ: literally “an empty place”; it came to mean the spot set aside for relieving oneself because it is empty of people, or because one is alone there.
– naqʿud: from the verb qaʿada-yaqʿudu, “to sit,” with the nuance of remaining seated.
– nansib: from the verb naṣaba-yanṣibu, “to raise”; here, to raise one’s right foot while relieving oneself.
Points derived from the ḥadīth:
- The recommendation to keep the right leg upright and lean on the left leg—and that is while