For an across-the-board prohibition would invalidate acting upon a whole set of reports, and an across-the-board allowance would do the same. Distinguishing between the two situations, however, reconciles the evidence and puts every narration to use, and that is the truth; for whenever it is possible to harmonize texts, one is obliged to do so before anything else.

There is, nevertheless, a fourth opinion that is no less forceful: that the ruling is one of disapproval (karāhah) rather than outright prohibition. Al-Ṣanʿānī said, “It is necessary to reconcile the hadiths by taking the wording of prohibition to mean disapproval, not strict illegality. Although this departs from the primary sense of a prohibition, the fact that the Prophet ﷺ deliberately acted contrary to it in order to legislate and clarify permissibility serves as an indicator. Interpreting the traditions of this chapter in this way is, to my mind, the closest approach, and a group of scholars has adopted it. In this manner the apparent conflict among the hadiths is removed.”

I would add: even when the lavatory is within a building one should incline away from the qiblah, in deference to the prohibiting narrations and because of the strong dissent championed by those verifiers.

Points derived from the hadith

1. It is permissible to turn one’s back to the Kaʿbah when relieving oneself—provided this is within a building.
2. It is likewise permissible to face Jerusalem when relieving oneself, contrary to those who deemed it disliked.

Hadith 4
Anas ibn Mālik —may Allah be pleased with him—reported: “When the Messenger of Allah used to enter the lavatory, a boy about my age and I would carry a small water-skin and an ʿanazah, and he would cleanse himself with the water.”

Explanation of terms
• ʿanazah: a small spear.

Unfamiliar vocabulary

1. “a boy about my age (ghulām naḥwī)”: A ghulām is a child who can distinguish right from wrong but has not yet reached puberty; naḥwī means “close to me in age.”
2. “idāwah of water”: idāwah (with a kasrah on the initial hamzah) is a small leather vessel for water.
3. “ʿanazah”: a staff shorter than a spear, tipped with iron.