How do primitive civilizations in arctic and desert climates wipe?

[Reply]

So toilet paper hasn’t been invented yet and the nearest leafy plant is hundreds of miles away.

What do you do?

[psychonaut]

They don’t wipe; they wash with water. There is a hadith where Mohammed gives instructions for doing one’s business in the desert; he says that if water is not available to use some smooth stones to wipe.

[janeslogin]

The tundra in Western Alaska was covered with a moss. You can purchase a similar product for houseplants if you want to try it.

[Fear_Itself]

@psychonaut

There is a hadith where Mohammed gives instructions for doing one’s business in the desert; he says that if water is not available to use some smooth stones to wipe.

But not a bone:

“It is not necessary to wipe one’s anus with three stones or three pieces of fabric: a single stone of single piece of fabric is enough. But if one wipes it with a bone, or any sacred object, such as for example, a paper having the name of God on it, one may not say his prayer while in this state.” ~~Ayatollah Khomeini

[Daylate]

I stand in awe of the things I’ve learned on this Board!

[Toxylon]

Fresh moss works admirably for the job, IME. Smooth sticks and stones are the next best option and were used by the peoples in the OP.

[Shagnasty]

You could probably use snow as well. You can use snow to take a primitive bath.

[psychonaut]

@psychonaut

They don’t wipe; they wash with water. There is a hadith where Mohammed gives instructions for doing one’s business in the desert; he says that if water is not available to use some smooth stones to wipe.

Well, I didn’t get this quite right. Here’s a summary of the hadith, as found in the section “Mysteries of Cleanliness: Purification of Body from Excrements” of Revival of Religious Learnings, Vol. 1, by Imam Ghazzali:

The following are the rules of answering the calls of nature. If one is pressed by calls of nature, he should go from the view of men and take shelter behind something. He should not uncover his private parts before he sits down and should not face or keep back Ka’ba sun or moon but there is no harm when he is within a room. He should not sit in a meeting place of the people, urinate in stagnant water, under a fruit tree, or in a hard surface and windy place. He should sit on his left leg. When entering a room, he should advance his left leg first and then his right leg and should not urinate while standing. Hazrat Omar said: While I was urinating standing, the Prophet told me, O Omar, don’t pass urine standing. Hazrat Ibnul Mobarak said: There is no harm in urinating in a bathroom if the water goes out flowing. The Prophet said: Let nobody among you urinate in a bathroom and then make ablution as many machinations come from it. None should take with him anything which contains the name of God or His Apostle. On entering room, he should say: I seek refuge to God from the accursed devil, the filthy, they impure, the abominable, the pernicious. On leaving it, he should say: All prise is due to God who has removed from me what was harmful to me and left for me what is useful.

Before sitting, he should take pebbles with him. He should not wash his private part with water in the first place. He should take utmost pains in cleansing his penis from urine by shaking it to and for three times. Hazrat Salman said: The Prophet taught us everything, even how to cleanse after calls of nature. He prohibited us to clear with bone, or dung or face the Ka’ba.

MANNER OF ABSTERTION
He will perform abstersion wtih three stones. If the orifice is cleansed therewith, it is good and if not more stones may be used. The Prophet said: Let one who uses stones use odd numbers. He shall take stones in his left hand, place it in the fore part of his orifice and run it over with horizontal and circular motions to the rear part. Thus it will continue from the rear part to the fore part. Taking the third stone, he should run it around the orifice. He should then move to another place and perfrom the act of abstersion with water. At the end of abstersion, he should say: O my God, purify my heart from hypocrisy and make my private part pure from indecencies. He should then wipe his hand against earth or wall till odour is removed therefrom. The use of stones and water are both desirable.

Of course, there are probably several hadiths with different interpretations. According to Mufti Ebrahim Desai, abstertion (Istinjaa) may be performed with toilet paper and water instead of stones, as follows:

At the beginning of Istinja, it is preferable to use toilet paper three times. If Istinjaa is being done on a hot day, then the person should start from the front to the back and then from the back to the front and the third time from the front to the back. If Istinjaa is being done on a cold day, then he should begin from the back to the front. After wiping, he should wash his hand first and then he should cleanse himself with two fingers and three fingers if necessary together with ‘pouring’ water. When using the two fingers, one should keep the middle finger in front and the ring and index finger behind it. After beginning with the fingers in this position, he should bring the ring finger forward and rub with the middle finger and ring finger. Thereafter, he will wipe with the index finger, if necessary. He should continue until all the impurity and smell is removed. The left over water after Istinjaa is paak only if there is no impurity in it.

[Lightnin]

I thought they used the three seashells.

[KlondikeGeoff]

@psychonaut

They don’t wipe; they wash with water. There is a hadith where Mohammed gives instructions for doing one’s business in the desert; he says that if water is not available to use some smooth stones to wipe.

Ooooh, ouch, oooh, yipes, them stones are hot!

[MrTuffPaws]

I understand that the people in the Arctic can you moss or snow or some such, but ho do they take a crap when it is -20 below outside of their shelter, unless they crap in their shelter and toss it out. They must have really close families.

[Lemur866]

You ever hear of outhouses?

Even with no outhouse, twenty below ain’t that bad. You go out, do your business quickly, and go back in. I lived in a cabin in Fairbanks without running water for two winters. If it’s forty below or colder then you it can be really uncomfortable, but chamber pots have been used for this purpose for thousands of years.

[Dallas_Jones]

@KlondikeGeoff

Ooooh, ouch, oooh, yipes, them stones are hot!

This was before the Sears catalog was introduced.

[Chimera]

Just so you know, 'ware them smooth stones lying on the desert floor in Muslim countries.

[Turble]

“… the Prophet told me, O Omar, don’t pass urine standing.”

So do Muslim men sit to pee? Can anyone confirm this?

[cwthree]

@Turble

“… the Prophet told me, O Omar, don’t pass urine standing.”

So do Muslim men sit to pee? Can anyone confirm this?

I believe it’s the usual practice, at least in some places. I recently saw a reference to an Afghani man squatting to urinate outside - the text suggested that this was the usual practice, as it avoids exposing the genitals to direct view.

[Pyper]

I wonder how old Omar felt when God decided to speak to him in the middle of a pee.