What is required to clean yourself after using the toilet, and is water necessary, or is tissue enough?

Cleaning after using the toilet is called istinja (with water) or istijmar (with a solid material like tissue or stones), and Islamic law accepts either, though scholars differ on which is preferable. Water is generally seen as most thorough since it actually removes impurity rather than just wiping it away, and it is the practice most praised in the tradition — Quran 9:108 describes the people of Quba as 'men who love to purify themselves,' which early commentators linked to their habit of combining stones and water. Tissue or similar clean, absorbent material is valid on its own in the Hanafi and Hanbali view, provided the area is wiped clean (traditionally at least three wipes, continuing until clean), while Shafi'i and Maliki scholars generally prefer water for complete purification before praying. Best practice, when water is available, is to use tissue first and then rinse with water. Etiquette matters too: the left hand is used for cleaning, facing or turning one's back to the qiblah is avoided in open areas, privacy is sought, and the underlying value is captured in the hadith that 'purity is half of faith' (Sahih Muslim 223).

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