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English translation
8. Abū Ayyūb Al-Anṣārī narrated that Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said: "When one of you arrives to defecate, then let none of you face the Qiblah while defecating, nor while urinating. And do not have your back towards it, but have it east of you or west of you." (Sahih)
Abū Ayyūb said: "We arrived in Ash-Shām to find lavatories which were built facing the Qiblah, so we would turn from it, seeking Allāh's forgiveness."
[Abū 'Eisā said:] There are narrations on this topic from 'Abdullāh bin Al-Ḥārith [bin Jaz'i Az-Zubaidī], Ma'qil bin Abī Al-Haytham – and it is said he was Ma'qil bin Abī Ma'qil – and Abū Umāmah, Abū Hurairah, and Sahl bin Hunaif."
[Abū 'Eisā said:] The Hadīth of Abū Ayyūb is the best thing on this topic and the most correct.
Abū Ayyūb's name is Khālid bin Zaid, and Az-Zuhri's name is Muḥammad bin Muslim bin
‘Ubaidullāh bin Shihāb Az-Zuhri, and his Kunya is Abū Bakr. Abū Al-Walīd Al-Makkī said, “Abū ‘Abdullāh [Muḥammad bin Idrīs] Ash-Shāfi‘ī said, ‘The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Do not face the Qiblah for defecation, nor for urination, nor turn your backs to it” only means in the desert. As for a lavatory that is constructed, there is an allowance to face it in that.”
Ishāq [bin Ibrāhīm] also said this. Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal [may Allāh have mercy upon him] said, “There is only an allowance from the Prophet ﷺ to have one’s back toward the Qiblah. As for facing the Qiblah, then it is not to be faced.”
It is as if he did not hold the view that one could face the Qiblah in the desert nor in the lavatory.
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Commentary
Both facing and turning the back towards the Qiblah in an open place and in a desert are not allowed; however both are allowed in an enclosure and in the inhabited place. Imām Bukhārī preferred the same view. Facing (towards the Qiblah) is impermissible anywhere, and turning the back is allowed in an enclosure and in the inhabited place but it is impermissible in an open place and in the desert; this is the opinion of Imām Abū Yūsuf and same is the opinion of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah too.
