Turkish fatwa says using toilet paper is HALAL

The Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs, called Diyanet, has declared that the use of toilet paper is permissible, but noted that water should be the primary tool used for cleansing.

Reported on by Hurriyet Daily News, the announcement noted the recent controversy in proper bathroom guidelines.

“If water cannot be found for cleansing, other cleaning materials can be used. Even though some sources deem paper to be unsuitable as a cleaning material, as it is an apparatus for writing, there is no problem in using toilet paper,” read a part of the statement, putting any worried bathroom-goers at ease.

In March, Diyanet said that it was permissible for products containing alcohol to be used for hygiene purposes as long as the alcohol was not consumed.

“If [substances containing alcohol] spill onto a dress or the body, they must be washed or they cannot perform a prayer. While it is forbidden to drink substances containing alcohol that were produced for cleaning purposes, it is acceptable to use them for cleaning. Therefore the places that were cleaned with such substances need not be washed before performing a prayer,” the body said, according to the newspaper.

Infographic: Turkish fatwa says using toilet paper is Halal

(Design by Farwa Rizwan/ Al Arabiya News)