Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:23524Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Amlá ʿAlay Maʿmar b. Rāshid > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd > Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When one of you goes to the toilet, he should not face the Qibla (direction of prayer), but rather, he should turn to the east or west. So, when we arrived in Sham (Syria), we found toilets positioned towards the Qibla, so we shifted direction and sought forgiveness from Allah.  

أحمد:٢٣٥٢٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ أَمْلَى عَلَيَّ مَعْمَرُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ أَخْبَرَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلَا يَسْتَقْبِلَنَّ الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَكِنْ لِيُشَرِّقْ أَوْ لِيُغَرِّبْ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ وَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ جُعِلَتْ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:394ʿAlī b. ʿAbdullāh > Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd > Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī

The Prophet ﷺ said, "While defecating, neither face nor turn your back to the Qibla but face either east or west." Abu Aiyub added. "When we arrived in Sham we came across some lavatories facing the Qibla; therefore we turned ourselves while using them and asked for Allah's forgiveness."  

البخاري:٣٩٤حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلاَ تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ وَلاَ تَسْتَدْبِرُوهَا وَلَكِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَدِمْنَا الشَّأْمَ فَوَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ بُنِيَتْ قِبَلَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَعَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أَيُّوبَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَهُ  

muslim:264[Chain 1] Zuhayr b. Ḥarb And Ibn Numayr > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah [Chain 2] Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī > Abū Ayyūb

The Apostle of Allah ﷺ said: Whenever you go to the desert, neither turn your face nor turn your back towards the Qibla while answering the call of nature, but face towards the east or the west. Abu Ayyub said: When we came to Syria we found that the latrines already built there were facing towards the Qibla. We turned our faces away from them and begged forgiveness of the Lord. He said: Yes.  

مسلم:٢٦٤وَحَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِسُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ سَمِعْتَ الزُّهْرِيَّ يَذْكُرُ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلاَ تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ وَلاَ تَسْتَدْبِرُوهَا بِبَوْلٍ وَلاَ غَائِطٍ وَلَكِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ فَوَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ قَدْ بُنِيَتْ قِبَلَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ عَنْهَا وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ قَالَ نَعَمْ  

nasai:22Yaʿqūb b. Ibrāhīm > Ghundar > Maʿmar > Ibn Shihāb > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd > Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'When any one of you goes to defecate, let him not face toward the Qiblah, rather let him face towards the east or the west.'"  

النسائي:٢٢أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا غُنْدَرٌ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلاَ يَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَكِنْ لِيُشَرِّقْ أَوْ لِيُغَرِّبْ  

abudawud:9Musaddad b. Musarhad > Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī > Abū Ayyūb Riwāyah

That he (the Holy Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:"When you go to the privy, neither turn your face nor your back towards the qiblah at the time of excretion or urination, but turn towards the east or the west. (Abu Ayyub said): When we came to Syria, we found that the toilets already built there were facing the qiblah, We turned our faces away from them and begged pardon of Allaah.  

أبو داود:٩حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدُ بْنُ مُسَرْهَدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ رِوَايَةً قَالَ

إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلاَ تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ بِغَائِطٍ وَلاَ بَوْلٍ وَلَكِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا فَقَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ فَوَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ قَدْ بُنِيَتْ قِبَلَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَكُنَّا نَنْحَرِفُ عَنْهَا وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ  

ahmad:23536Ismāʿīl > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd > Abū Ayyūb

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you enters the toilet, he should not face the qibla (direction of prayer), nor turn his back towards it. Instead, he should face east or west." Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When we came to Ash-Sham (Syria), we found seats that faced the qibla, so we used to change our direction and seek forgiveness from Allah."  

أحمد:٢٣٥٣٦حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْخَلَاءَ فَلَا يَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَا يَسْتَدْبِرْهَا وَلْيُشَرِّقْ وَلْيُغَرِّبْ قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَلَمَّا أَتَيْنَا الشَّامَ وَجَدْنَا مَقَاعِدَ تَسْتَقْبِلُ الْقِبْلَةَ فَجَعَلْنَا نَنْحَرِفُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ ﷻ  

ahmad:23577ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī > Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you goes to relieve himself, he should not face the Qibla (direction of prayer) nor turn his back towards it, but he should either face the east or the west." Abu Ayyub commented, "When we arrived in Sham (Greater Syria), we found the toilets were made toward the Qibla, so we would change our direction and seek forgiveness from Allah."  

أحمد:٢٣٥٧٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلَا يَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَا يَسْتَدْبِرْهَا وَلَكِنْ لِيُشَرِّقْ أَوْ لِيُغَرِّبْ قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ وَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ جُعِلَتْ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  

ahmad:23579Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī > Abū Ayyūb

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not face the qibla (the direction of prayer) while defecating or urinating, but face east or west." Abu Ayyub added, "When we arrived in Sham (Syria), we found toilets facing the qibla, so we turned away and sought forgiveness from Allah."  

أحمد:٢٣٥٧٩حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أَيُّوبَ يُخْبِرُ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَا تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ بِغَائِطٍ وَلَا بَوْلٍ وَلَكِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا قَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ فَوَجَدْنَا مَرَاحِيضَ جُعِلَتْ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَنَنْحَرِفُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  

nasai-kubra:21Yaʿqūb b. Ibrāhīm > Ghundar > Maʿmar > Ibn Shihāb > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd > Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'When any one of you goes to defecate, let him not face toward the Qiblah, rather let him face towards the east or the west.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 22)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢١أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا غُنْدَرٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمُ الْغَائِطَ فَلَا يَسْتَقْبِلِ الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَكِنْ لِيُشَرِّقْ أَوْ لِيُغَرِّبْ»