Islam is a practical religion that guides us about everything necessary to live a life based on the Islamic teachings. It also relates almost every action or task in our daily life routine to religion, making it a kind of worship. Making Duas before starting any action is a part of the basic Islamic etiquette. Though not mandatory, making Dua before starting any task and in many cases, after completing that task, is mostly emphasized in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. The purpose behind these duas is to ensure that a Muslim should always remember Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, seeking His Guidance, Mercy, and Blessings.
Likewise, it is an act of Sunnah to recite a Dua after leaving the toilet or bathroom.
It has been narrated by Aisha (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا) that, "When the Prophet would exit the toilet, he would say: 'Ghufranak.'" – (Jami at-Tirmidhi 7). There has also been a narration that narrates another dua before exiting the lavatory; it was reported by Anas bin Malik (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and goes as follows: "Whenever the Prophet exited the toilet, he would say: 'Al-hamdu lillahilladhi adhhaba 'annial-adha wa 'afani (Praise is to Allah Who has relieved me of impurity and given me good health).'" – (Sunan Ibn Majah 301). However, a majority of scholars have categorized this Hadith as weak (Da’if).
These two Ahadith signify the fact that to recite dua after leaving the lavatory for protection and blessings from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and every Muslim is recommended to follow it. The dua should be recited after one exits the lavatory, whether you leave it after relieving yourself or after other activities such as brushing one's teeth or taking a bath. However, make sure to exit the toilet by putting your right foot out first, as it is a recommended etiquette.
غُفْرَانَكَ
(O Allah), I seek Your forgiveness.
غُفْرَانَكَ
Ghufraanaka
Dua - غُفْرَانَكَ
Urdu Translation - میں تیری بخشش چاہتا ہوں۔ (اے اللہ)
Ghufraanaka (غُفْرَانَكَ)
Dua - غُفْرَانَكَ
Meaning – By dictionary, the Arabic expression غُفْرَانَكَ (Ghufraanaka) can be translated to "I seek your forgiveness. This dua is recommended for Muslims as an act of Sunnah, as the Prophet used to recite it after leaving the toilet, as mentioned in Hadith 7 of Jami at-Tirmidhi. The majority of scholars are of the view that by reciting this dua, Muslims express their thankfulness to Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ for enabling them to remove harmful substances from their bodies, providing physical relief to them. It is also a word of remembering Allah, سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, immediately after leaving the toilet, because mentioning Allah's سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ name while sitting in the toilet is not allowed in Islam.
Dua to be recited after leaving the toilet can be easily downloaded in PDF format for offline reading or printing purposes, from the website of Muslim and Quran by following these simple steps:
Although reciting a specific Dua after leaving the toilet is not an obligatory requirement in Islam, it holds great significance as it was a consistent practice of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, hence it is followed by the Muslims as an act of Sunnah. Following a Sunnah is a highly virtuous act and brings huge rewards. Moreover, following the Sunnah of the Prophet in our daily life helps us in shaping our lives strictly as required in Islam.
Reciting this specific dua after leaving the toilet is practiced by Muslims with the spiritual relevance of following the Sunnah. So, reciting this dua after leaving the toilet brings multiple rewards, by way of remembering and seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ and also by way of following a Sunnah of the Prophet.
The etiquette of reciting a specific Dua after leaving the toilet, as recommended by scholars derived from the Sunnah of the Prophet, is summarized as follows:
Reciting the dua to be recited after leaving the toilet has the following benefits:
Reciting a dua before or after an important or minor task in our daily life brings a religious discipline to our lives.
Always leave the toilet with your right foot first, followed by the left.
No, reciting any dua while inside the toilet is not allowed. So, you cannot recite “Ghufraanaka" while still inside the toilet; recite it after leaving the toilet.
The scholarly explanation to this dua is that it is a word of thankfulness to Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ for enabling us to physically remove the harmful material from our body, ensuring the physical health of our body. Another view is that by saying Ghufraanaka, we seek forgiveness for a temporary pause in remembering Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, for the time that was spent inside the toilet.