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Imagine a world without cleanliness. Actually, wait, scrap that. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be asking much since parts of our world are sadly already pretty unclean. Instead, let’s imagine a world where everyone adheres to a high level of cleanliness. No more stinky underground subways, no more overflowing rubbish bins in public parks, and no more disgusting public toilets. Today, we’re going to talk about cleanliness in Islam and how it highlights the importance of cleanliness both on a personal level and on a societal level.
Cleanliness is one of the most important values in Islam. In fact, it’s regarded so highly that it is considered not just a good manner but part and parcel of a person’s faith. Just as Islam’s religious scriptures describe how we should worship, they also cover, in great detail, good hygiene practices that we should follow and maintain. There are numerous verses in the Quran and many hadiths about this topic. For example, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, stressed the importance of cleanliness when he said, “Cleanliness is half of faith.” The Quran also addresses its importance in chapter 2, verse 222, when it states, “Truly God loves those who turn to Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.”
Long before cleanliness was commonplace, accessible, or even fashionable, the teachings of Islam already addressed how to maintain personal hygiene. So let’s take a look at nine personal hygiene practices outlined in the teachings of Islam.
- Looking professional and presentable. Verse 31 of chapter 7 of the Quran highlights the importance of looking nice and presentable: “O children of Adam, wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer. Eat and drink, but waste not your time and energy on the way. God loveth not the wasters.”
- Hair care. The Prophet used to care for his hair and use oils to keep it healthy, directing his companions to do the same. It was narrated that Javed, a companion of the Prophet, said, “The messenger of God came to visit us in our house. He saw a man with uncombed hair and beard and mentioned, ‘Wouldn’t it be better if he took care of his hair?’”
- Perfuming. The Prophet Muhammad always put on perfume, especially when meeting people, such as during Friday prayers. Abu Sayyid al-Khudri, one of the Prophet’s companions, narrated that the Prophet said, “Every Muslim needs to bathe every Friday for his best garment and perfume.”
- Avoiding eating foods that cause unpleasant smells. Before the invention of mouthwash, toothpaste, and breath mints, Muslims were asked not to eat garlic, onions, and the like if they wanted to attend a social gathering. The Prophet is reported to have said, “Whoever eats onions, garlic, or leeks should not approach our mosque, for the angels are offended by the children of Adam.” This does not mean we cannot eat these foods; rather, it’s a reminder not to eat them before meeting people, especially in prayer.
- Dental hygiene. Islam pays great attention to dental hygiene. The Prophet Muhammad said, “If I had not found it hard for my followers, I would have ordered them to brush their teeth with siwak for every prayer.” The siwak is a smooth cleaning stick made from the Salvador persica tree, known as Arak in Arabic. The International Dental Journal has given the siwak a very good review, noting its antibacterial activity and effectiveness as a natural toothbrush.
- Clipping the nails. Abu Hurairah, one of the companions of the Prophet, mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad used to cut his nails and trim his mustache every Friday.
- Shaving pubic hair and armpit hair. At a time when this was not a common practice, Islam was already very particular about body cleanliness. Muslims are asked to shave pubic and armpit hair at least every 40 days.
- Clean clothes. Even though we tend to take our clothes for granted, if you think about it, clothes are a big blessing, protecting us from the cold wind and dust. God says in chapter 7, “Your garments do purify.”
- Wudu (ablution). By far the most common act of purification for Muslims is the ritual cleansing or ablution, known as wudu. Muslims pray at least five times a day, and before the prayer, they must perform wudu. God describes the steps of this ritual washing in the Quran: “O you who believe, rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. And if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash yourselves.”
These are just some of the ways in which Islamic teachings call on us to maintain cleanliness. Islam also instructs its followers in proper toilet etiquette and sexual hygiene. But, as awesome as a clean, stink-free world would be, it would still be pretty horrible if cleanliness and beauty were only skin deep. That is why Islam emphasizes the importance of spiritual cleanliness. The Prophet Muhammad asked his followers to cleanse their hearts from diseases such as arrogance, envy, hypocrisy, deceit, and lying.
Now, how could we talk about cleanliness without addressing it at the societal level? In Islam, there are many guidelines to protect the private and public environment by encouraging cleanliness of houses, roads, and public squares.
- Home cleanliness. The purity of the place of prayer is a condition for its validity, which means Muslims must keep their homes in a state of purity. This includes cleansing not only dirt but also any manifestations of immorality or sin.
- The importance of janitors and the cleaning industry. The preservation of a place’s purity is a great virtue. The Prophet was reported to be in the service of his own household, meaning he didn’t put himself above the often mundane tasks of cleaning.
- Cleaning of roads and public places. Whenever we visit a new place, one of the first things we usually judge it on is its cleanliness. The Prophet Muhammad warned against causing harm to the road or public places when he said, “Take regard against two things which provoke cursing.” He also highlighted the great reward of removing harm from people’s way when he said, “If a man walks along the path and finds a branch of thorns on the road and removes it, God thanks him and forgives him.”
In short, cleanliness in all its forms, whether internal or external, is a beautiful thing. And a world without cleanliness wouldn’t be a world we would want to live in at all. If you liked what you saw, please remember to like, comment, share, and let us know what you think in the comment section below. See you all next time.