How To Treat Modern Bathrooms

Q: How should we treat today’s bathrooms that combine a toilet and a shower? Do they follow the rulings of the toilet (khalāʾ) or the bath area (ḥammām)?

A: In traditional Islamic law, these two space are different in nature and usage with related rulings and etiquettes.

Khalāʾ (الخَلَاء): Comes from the word which means open space and has been adopted as the location ḥadath occurs. It is specifically constructed for relieving oneself and removing bodily waste, housing a toilet. It is defined by the presence of filth (najāsah) and impurity. Special manners are required when entering this space and using it for its designed purpose.

Ḥammām (الحمام): Comes from the word ḥamīm i.e. hot water and is used for a bathing place, used for purification with hot water much like the modern day sauna and shower. Special etiquettes apply to its usage.

In the past, these two places were separate. However, modern bathrooms often combine both functions into a single room, with only a curtain or glass partition separating the toilet from the shower.

Since the toilet—the source of najāsah—is present inside the room, what appears obvious is that the dominant ruling of the space is that of the khalāʾ.

If one intends to shower, the act of showering remains permissible, but the manners of the toilet space should still be observed when entering and while inside.

Sources: Kashshāf al-Qināʿ, Sharḥ Ghāyat al-Muntahā, Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt