As for our response, we rely on the hadiths of prohibition, which are authentic. The hadith of Jabir is open to the interpretation that he saw him inside a building or shielded by something; abrogation cannot be established through mere possibility. It is necessary to interpret it in accordance with the hadiths we have mentioned so that it may be in agreement with them. As for when inside a building, or if there is something between the person and the qibla shielding him, there are two narrations: One is that it is still not permissible, which is the opinion of al-Thawri and Abu Hanifah, due to the generality of the hadiths regarding the prohibition. The second is that it is permissible to face or turn one's back to it when inside a building. This has been narrated from al-Abbas and Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and it is the view held by Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ibn al-Mundhir. This is the sound opinion, based on the hadith of Jabir, which we have interpreted as taking place inside a building. Aishah narrated that it was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that some people dislike facing the qibla with their private parts, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "[Have they really done so?] Face my seat toward the qibla." This was recorded by the authors of the Sunan and most of the Musnad collections, including Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi, who recorded it from Khalid ibn al-Salt, from Irak ibn Malik, from Aishah. Abu Abd Allah said: The best that has been narrated regarding the concession is the hadith of Aishah, even though it is mursal (a narration by a Successor without a Companion), for its chain of transmission is sound. Ahmad said: Irak did not hear from Aishah, and that is why he termed it mursal. All of this applies to buildings, and it is a specific case that takes precedence over the general ruling. From Marwan al-Asfar, who said: I saw Ibn Umar hobble his mount facing the qibla, then sit and urinate toward it. I said, "O Abu Abd al-Rahman, has this not been prohibited?" He replied, "Yes, it was only prohibited in open spaces; if there is something between you and the qibla that shields you, then there is no harm." This was recorded by Abu Dawud. This serves as an explanation for the general prohibition of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
(15) In Sunan Ibn Majah: "I see they have done it." In the original: "Have they done it." (16) That is, they directed the spot for relieving oneself toward the direction of the qibla, so that the disapproval of facing it inside houses would be removed from their hearts, and the permissibility of doing so inside them would become established in their hearts, and they would understand that the prohibition is specific to open terrain (the desert). (17) Recorded by Ibn Majah in: The Chapter on the Concession for Facing the Qibla in a Toilet, and its Permissibility Rather Than in Open Fields, from the Book of Purification. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/117. And Imam Ahmad in: Al-Musnad 6/137. (18) In the original: "And the authors of." (19) In the original: "it was." (20) In: The Chapter on the Dislike of Facing the Qibla While Relieving Oneself, from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/3.
