Is it legislated to audibly pronounce "Bismillah" when placing clothes in the restroom, by analogy with the permissibility of pronouncing it audibly before ablution, as some scholars, such as Imam Ibn Baz, have permitted?
The hadiths regarding saying "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah) when undressing are sound, as it protects a person from the eyes of the jinn. It is disliked to mention the name of Allah in the restroom because it is an disrespectful place. However, if there is a need to say "Bismillah" — such as saying it for the obligatory ablution (wudu') — then it is permissible. It is not correct to compare saying "Bismillah" when undressing to saying "Bismillah" for wudu'. Therefore, it is permissible to intend the "Bismillah" in one's heart without uttering it verbally.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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