bismillah, assalamu alaykum, my problem is as follows: After toilet (defecation) i need a lot of time to clean myself (30 min or more). In addition i need a lot of toiletpaper and water. Sometimes it seems to me that there is still a trace of stool visible, but sometimes it isn't. When should i stop cleaning myself? Is a little trace of stool excused? Furthermore if i'm at journey or outdoor and i don't have so much water, paper or time. What should i do, because a bit water or stones or so wouldn't clean myself completly? I must say that cleaning myself is a big burden for me so that i try to avoid going out of my house, because outdoor i don't have so much water, toiletpaper and time. May Allah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Istinjaa’ is to remove what comes out of the two private parts from the place where it comes out or the place that is near it, whether by washing it or by wiping it with stones and the like.

The sufficient Istinjaa’ is to remove the very impurity and its remnants in a way that the place becomes rough as it was before defecation. This is in case one makes Istinjaa’ with water. However, if one makes Istinjaa’ with stones, then he should not leave any remnants except that which cannot be removed without water. So, if one wipes with toilet tissue and the like, and there is nothing that appears on the tissue, then this is enough. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84603.

If the color of the impurity remains, it is evidence that the very impurity still remains; so one should wash the place until its remnants disappear.

The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: “The majority of the jurists - the Maaliki, Shaafi’i and Hanbali Schools – are of the view that if it is easy to remove the color of the impurity, then it is an obligation to remove it, because if it [the color] remains, this is evidence that the very impurity remains.”

Therefore, one is not excused from removing the remnants of this impurity except in case of Istijmaar (cleansing oneself with stones and the like); in which case, he is excused from removing that which can only be removed with water as we already discussed.

Finally, you should know that what we mentioned in regard to removing the remnants of impurity is an easy matter that is not hard at all, and it does not need much tissue paper or much water. So, it might be that the hardship that you find and the long time that you spend when doing Istinjaa’ is due to whispers; so you should not pay any attention to them. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 92050 and 92641.

Allaah Knows best.