Dua After Leaving the Toilet

Explanation
This is the dua of praise and istighfar (seeking forgiveness) to be recited after leaving the toilet (lavatory).
The first part of the dua is praise (hamd): “All praise is due to Allah, who removed from me what harms me and kept in me what benefits me.” The body expels what would harm it and keeps what is beneficial inside. This is an order a person experiences every day without noticing that it is a blessing. The second part is glorification (tasbih) and istighfar: “Subhanaka ghufranaka Rabbana wa ilayka l-masir” — Glory be to You, I ask Your forgiveness, to You is the return. Having praise and seeking forgiveness in the same sentence ties gratitude for blessings together with being cleansed of sins.
Dua Text
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي مَا يُؤْذِينِي وَأَمْسَكَ عَلَيَّ مَا يَنْفَعُنِي، سُبْحَانَكَ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
Transliteration
Alhamdu lillahi lladhi adhhaba ‘anni ma yu’dhini wa amsaka ‘alayya ma yanfa’uni. Subhanaka ghufranaka Rabbana wa ilayka l-masir.
Meaning
All praise is due to Allah, who removed from me what harms me and kept in me what benefits me. Glory be to You, free of all imperfection. Our Lord, I ask Your forgiveness; to You alone is the return.
What Is Asked in This Dua
It expresses gratitude that what harmed the body has gone, and asks for sins to be forgiven. The dua carries both praise and seeking forgiveness: it is Allah who gives the discomfort and Allah who takes it away.
When and How to Recite
It is recited right after leaving the toilet. No specific number is mentioned in the source.
It is sunnah to leave with the right foot. Reciting the dua while reflecting that the lifting of the heaviness inside is a blessing is in keeping with its meaning.
Saying “ghufranaka” (I ask Your forgiveness) upon coming out is the shortest form narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ; the longer form in the book is an expanded version of it. The dua does not have to be recited aloud; reciting it so that you yourself can hear it is enough. If you are going to perform wudu afterwards, the wudu duas are recited separately.
Virtue
The source book states that praising the Lord after leaving the toilet is a primary duty, that it is Allah who both gives the discomfort and takes it away, and that however much we praise Allah, who removes the heaviness within us, it will still be too little.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dua after leaving the toilet?
It is the dua of praise and seeking forgiveness that begins with “Alhamdu lillahi lladhi adhhaba ‘anni l-adha wa ‘afani”.
Why does this dua begin with praise?
The source book states that it is Allah who both gives the discomfort and removes it, and that praising Allah, who takes away the heaviness within us, is counted as a primary duty.
Which foot do you leave the toilet with?
It is sunnah to leave with the right foot; the dua is recited after you have come out.
Is there a short dua after using the toilet?
Yes, the shortest form is to say “Ghufranaka” (I ask Your forgiveness); the dua on this page is its expanded form.
Is the dua recited while leaving or after leaving?
It is recited after stepping outside; no dua is made inside the toilet.
Source
Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 1, p. 601.
The text on this page was prepared by Dua Kitaplığı based on the work cited above. The Arabic text has been transcribed from the original with its vowel marks, and the transliteration in Latin letters and the English meaning are given separately. No virtue or number that does not appear in the source is added to this page. How do we prepare our content?
Published: 13 September 2026 · Last updated: 9 October 2026
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