Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I would like to know that "is it compulsory/necessary to wear chappals/sandals in the toilet/or while going to the toilet?" 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Obligatory to wear sandals in toilet

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely nothing in the Sunnah which declares that one must wear sandals when in toilets or attending to the call of nature. If one wishes to wear sandals to the toilets, they may do so; and if one wishes to abstain from wearing them, they are well within their rights to do so.

If one happens to visit a public toilet, or a toilet whose ground has been soiled by impurity, it would only be in the interest of hygiene and purity that one wear sandals/flip-flops when they happen to visit such a toilet. But if one were to visit a toilet in one’s house which is dry, carpeted, or where the ground is free from impurity, there is absolutely no harm if one were to choose to visit such toilets bare footed.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan