Muslims enjoy the highest standard of personal hygiene of all the people
in the world. In Islam, cleanliness and purification are not only
requirements for the performance of worship, or when embracing Islam,
but are part of a Muslim’s very faith. Allah says in the Quraan: "Truly,
Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who
purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly
their private parts, bodies, for their prayers etc.)." (The Noble Quran 2: 222)
Cleanliness in Islam is of three kinds:
1- Purification from impurity (i.e. to attain purity or cleanliness, by taking a bath ghusl or performing ablution wudu’ in states in which a bath or ablution is necessary or desirable according to Islamic Law.
2- Cleansing one’s body, dress or place from an impurity of filth.
3- Removing the dirt or grime that collects in various parts of the body, such as cleaning the teeth and nostrils, the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair.
Ghusl:
This is when all parts of the body are thoroughly washed. Ghusl is required of every Muslim after sexual intercourse, after wet dreams, after child-birth, and after post-partum bleeding (40-days flow of blood, and final yellowish discharge has completely stopped), and each month after menstruation and final yellowish discharge has stopped.
Wudu’:
This simple ablution is necessary before prayer in the following cases:
1- after urinating or defecating;
2- if one breaks wind;
3- if one falls asleep lying down;
4- if one loses consciousness;
5- if one directly touches the genitals;
6- if one becomes excited, leading to a subsequent discharge.
The above cases also nullify one’s ablution, requiring a fresh one. Allah says in the Qur’an: "O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba, purify yourself (bathe your whole body)…." (Al-Ma’idah: 6)
Muslims are duty bound to shave off their armpits and pubic hair as a matter of routine practice. The males are also instructed to trim their moustaches in order to keep them clear of oral intakes. Our beloved Prophet strictly prohibited his followers to consume onion and garlic (indicating thereby any foul smelling consumable including cigarettes) before going to any congregational prayer in mosques, lest they offend fellow companions praying next to them. Brushing of teeth ( once in a day ) is very recent development of near past. Muslims are known to use Miswak, the herbal brush for the past 1400 years, five times a day prior to each ablution, as recommended by their Prophet.
Cleanliness is inbuilt in Islamic Sharia, as prerequisite to every form and mode of worship. Be it the recital of the holy Qur’an, offering of the five daily prayers, fasting or the Hajj. In fact a Muslim cannot offer his obligatory prayers with unclean body, clothes or using dirty premises. The Holy Qur’an instructs the faithful to ”keep their clothes clean”(74:4). They are also made to imbibe this very message that “Allah loves those who are clean.”(2:222). In fact to what length and breadth, Islam goes on to take care of its followers in respect of personal hygiene, can be exemplified by the afore-mentioned verse whereby Muslims are categorically prohibited to have sex with their mates during menses.
Well at this juncture someone may start feeling that Islam prescribes much more stringent code of cleanliness than they ever thought. They are not wrong. But they are not fully correct too! The emphasis in Islam is more on the cleanliness of the inner-self, that is heart, mind and soul. The external cleaning process and rituals in reality are the preparatory ground work to achieve the more important task and that is cleanliness of the inner-self, which is the ultimate goal of the religion.
Cleanliness in Islam is of three kinds:
1- Purification from impurity (i.e. to attain purity or cleanliness, by taking a bath ghusl or performing ablution wudu’ in states in which a bath or ablution is necessary or desirable according to Islamic Law.
2- Cleansing one’s body, dress or place from an impurity of filth.
3- Removing the dirt or grime that collects in various parts of the body, such as cleaning the teeth and nostrils, the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair.
Ghusl:
This is when all parts of the body are thoroughly washed. Ghusl is required of every Muslim after sexual intercourse, after wet dreams, after child-birth, and after post-partum bleeding (40-days flow of blood, and final yellowish discharge has completely stopped), and each month after menstruation and final yellowish discharge has stopped.
Wudu’:
This simple ablution is necessary before prayer in the following cases:
1- after urinating or defecating;
2- if one breaks wind;
3- if one falls asleep lying down;
4- if one loses consciousness;
5- if one directly touches the genitals;
6- if one becomes excited, leading to a subsequent discharge.
The above cases also nullify one’s ablution, requiring a fresh one. Allah says in the Qur’an: "O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba, purify yourself (bathe your whole body)…." (Al-Ma’idah: 6)
Muslims are duty bound to shave off their armpits and pubic hair as a matter of routine practice. The males are also instructed to trim their moustaches in order to keep them clear of oral intakes. Our beloved Prophet strictly prohibited his followers to consume onion and garlic (indicating thereby any foul smelling consumable including cigarettes) before going to any congregational prayer in mosques, lest they offend fellow companions praying next to them. Brushing of teeth ( once in a day ) is very recent development of near past. Muslims are known to use Miswak, the herbal brush for the past 1400 years, five times a day prior to each ablution, as recommended by their Prophet.
Cleanliness is inbuilt in Islamic Sharia, as prerequisite to every form and mode of worship. Be it the recital of the holy Qur’an, offering of the five daily prayers, fasting or the Hajj. In fact a Muslim cannot offer his obligatory prayers with unclean body, clothes or using dirty premises. The Holy Qur’an instructs the faithful to ”keep their clothes clean”(74:4). They are also made to imbibe this very message that “Allah loves those who are clean.”(2:222). In fact to what length and breadth, Islam goes on to take care of its followers in respect of personal hygiene, can be exemplified by the afore-mentioned verse whereby Muslims are categorically prohibited to have sex with their mates during menses.
Well at this juncture someone may start feeling that Islam prescribes much more stringent code of cleanliness than they ever thought. They are not wrong. But they are not fully correct too! The emphasis in Islam is more on the cleanliness of the inner-self, that is heart, mind and soul. The external cleaning process and rituals in reality are the preparatory ground work to achieve the more important task and that is cleanliness of the inner-self, which is the ultimate goal of the religion.
No comments:
Post a Comment