The Prophet –may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him–, when he exited from the place of relieving himself, would say: “Ghufrānaka (I seek Your forgiveness).”

Narrated by Aḥmad (no. 25220), Abū Dāwūd (no. 30), al-Tirmidhī (no. 7), al-Nasāʾī in al-Sunan al-Kubrā (no. 9824), and Ibn Mājah (no. 300), from the narration of ʿĀʾishah –may Allah be pleased with her–.
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ (no. 4707) and Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (no. 23).

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

This ḥadīth highlights a noble prophetic etiquette that it is recommended for a Muslim to observe upon leaving the place of relieving oneself, namely seeking forgiveness from Allah, Exalted is He. Seeking forgiveness means the concealing and removal of sin. The scholars have explained the relevance of this dhikr in this context. It has been said that it is a seeking of forgiveness for having refrained from the remembrance of Allah while relieving oneself. Others have said it is an expression of one’s inability to fully thank Allah, Exalted is He, for His blessings—having granted him food and drink, and then made it easy for him to expel it. And it has been said that when Allah relieved the servant of the harm in his body, he remembered the harm caused by sins, so he asked Allah to remove their harm from him just as He had removed the harm from his body.
From seeking forgiveness after relieving oneself, great meanings can be derived; among them: expressing gratitude to Allah for the blessing of relieving the body, being reminded of the danger and harm of sins, and encouraging the maintenance of a constant connection with Allah even in the most private of circumstances. This reflects the completeness of the Prophetic guidance, which connects the servants to their Lord in all aspects of their lives. It also indicates the Companions’ –may Allah be pleased with them– keenness to preserve the Prophetic Sunnahs in the finest details and to transmit them to the Ummah, due to the guidance they contain and the perfection they bring to following the Prophet’s example.

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