Q: Is it permissible for a man to urinate while standing up in a place where no one can see him?

A: All Praise is due to Allah Alone and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, his family and Companions. To commence: The basic rule is to urinate while sitting in order to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Al-Nasa'y, Al-Tirmidhy and Ibn Majah reported that `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "If anyone tells you that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to urinate while standing up, do not believe him, for the Prophet used to urinate while sitting''. Al-Tirmidhy said that this Hadith is the best and most authentic one in this regard. However, if one is obliged to urinate while standing up, then it is permissible. Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, Muslim and the Compilers of the Sunan (Hadith compilations classified by jurisprudential themes) reported that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the dump of some people where he urinated while he was standing. I stepped aside but he said to me: 'Come near!' Then I approached him till I reached his heels. He (peace be upon him) performed ablution and wiped over his socks." If one urinates while standing up without any need for doing so, he will not be blamed, but will contradict the best manner (Part No. 5; Page No. 90) and the recurrent behavior of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Consequently, we can reconcile between the two Hadiths. Moreover, the Hadith reported by `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) may be interpreted according to her knowledge and that she did not know what Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.