Islam: A Religion of Cleanliness Almighty Allah tells the believers to clean themselves, for such a condition suits their

spiritual state and nature. Cleanliness, considered a form of worship by believers, is therefore a source of great relief and pleasure to them. In many verses of the Qur'an, Almighty Allah draws attention to the believers' spiritual and physical purity. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also stressed the importance of being clean. He is reported to have said, "Cleanliness is half of faith"(Muslim). Below are some of the various aspects of cleanliness: Spiritual Purity The Qur'anic understanding of cleanliness differs considerably from how it is understood in the society of ignorance. According to the Qur'an, being clean is a state experienced in one's soul. People having such cleanliness are entirely purified of their society's moral values, form of reasoning, and lifestyle that are in conflict with the Noble Qur'an. In this way, the Qur'an provides spiritual relief to the believers. The first aspect of being clean manifests itself in the clarity of mind. No doubt, this is a very important quality. The spiritual purity people experience in their souls manifests in all aspects of their lives; thus, it makes such people's moral excellence obvious to everyone. Spiritually, pure people distance their minds from all forms of evil. They never experience malice, jealousy, cruelty, or selfishness all of which are evil feelings harbored and displayed by those who are far from the Qur'an's concept of morality. Believers possess noble spirits, as they yearn for moral excellence. This is why, in addition to their care of their physical appearance, believers also pay attention to the purity of their souls. They keep away from their souls all the evil coming from ignorance, and they encourage others to do likewise. Physical Purity In this world, the believers seek to establish an environment similar to that of Paradise. They seek to experience in this world anything that Almighty Allah promises to grant them in Paradise. As we understand from the Qur'an, physical cleanliness is one of the qualities possessed by the people of Paradise. The verse (Young male servants like hidden pearls) (At-Tur 52:24) is self-explanatory. In many other verses, Almighty Allah also informs us that there will be in Paradise (Spouses of perfect purity) (Al-Baqarah 2:25). Another verse in which Almighty Allah draws attention to physical cleanliness is the one that refers to Prophet John (peace be upon him), which reads (We granted him wisdom while yet a child, and tenderness from Us and purity) (Maryam 19:13). Clean Clothes The Noble Qur'an also refers to the importance of wearing clean clothes. A relevant verse reads: (Purify your garments. Shun uncleanness.) (Al-Muddaththir 74:4-5) Furthermore, physical cleanliness is important because it shows one's respect for other people. Indeed, respecting other people requires taking care of one's physical appearance. Believers do not only abstain from filth, but they also display subtleties that emphasize their profound respect for others. One way to show such respect is to wear clean clothes. Almighty Allah commands us in the Qur'an, saying:

(O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of Prayer.) (Al-A`raf 7:31) Thus, being physically clean and well groomed are qualities that please Almighty Allah. Such qualities, however, are unimportant to the people of ignorance. Allah's approval of such qualities is expressed in a hadith in which Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) reportedly said, "He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise." Someone asked, "How about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and shoes?" The Messenger of Allah replied, "All of Allah's affairs are beautiful, and He likes beauty. Pride is disdain of the truth and contempt for the people."(Muslim) We should be aware of the following point: People generally tend to be at their best when meeting people they consider important, trying to impress them. However, due to the Qur'an's morality, believers find such careful grooming essential because it fully accords with their desire to please the Almighty Lord. Promised Paradise in the hereafter, believers also engage in a constant effort in this world to keep their bodies and surroundings clean, so that they may attain purity and beauty similar to those in Paradise while still in this world. True Clean Environment Muslims are meticulous when it comes to keeping their immediate believers surroundings clean. One example of this occurs in a verse of Surat Al- seek to keep Hajj, in which Almighty Allah commands Prophet Abraham (peace be their upon him) to keep the Ka`bah clean for the believers who worship in its surroundings clean and to vicinity. The verse reads: them (And [remember] when We assigned to Ibrahim the place of the turn into places House, saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow that remind them of and prostrate themselves.) (Al-Hajj 22:26) As the verse makes clear, such environmental cleanliness is maintained Paradise. primarily for other believers who will perform their acts of worship to earn Allah's good pleasure. Thus, all believers who follow in the footsteps of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) should keep their dwellings clean and tidy, for doing so gladdens a believer's heart. The Qur'anic concept of cleanliness differs markedly from the one held by the societies of ignorance. Almighty Allah commands believers to be clean and purified in both the physical and the spiritual sense. In other words, this is not cleanliness in the mere classical sense; rather, it is an elaborate effort. The Qur'an's depictions of life in Paradise are also instructive in this regard. Paradise's environment is purified of all forms of the dirt that we see around us. It is a blissful and perfectly clean place where each detail exists in perfect harmony with every other detail. In light of these illustrations, believers seek to keep their surroundings clean and to turn them into places that remind them of Paradise. Such endeavor is solely a manifestation of their aspiration for Paradise.

Cleanliness

Narrated Ab Mlik Al-Hrith bin sim Al-Ashari: Allahs Messenger said, Cleanliness is half of Faith; the utterance of Allah (Al-hamdu lillah all praise belongs to Allah) fills the scales of good actions; the utterance of Allah (Glory be to Allah and all praise belongs to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth, and Salt (prayer) is light; and charity is the proof of Faith; and endurance is a light, and the Qurn is a plea in your favour or against you. Every person begins the morning ready to strike a deal with his soul as a stake; he either ransoms it or puts it into perdition. (Muslim) Cleanliness Islam has given so much importance to cleanliness that it has been considered to be an objective of the faith. The Qur'an recommending purity and cleanliness says: Allah does not intend to inconvenience you, but He intends to purify you and perfect His favor to you, so that you may give thanks". (Surah alMaidah, S: 6). "Truly Allah loves those who ask for forgiveness and strive to keep themselves clean". (SurahalBaqarah, 2:222). The holy Prophet of Islam is reported to have said that cleanliness is a part of faith. Islam has in more than one ways exhorted the people to the cleanliness of utensils, clothing, body, hair, teeth, drinking water, water used for ablution and bathing, dwelling places, streets, public places, food and every other thing in human use. A number of the sayings of the Prophet and the imams ascribe to the devil everything which is loathsome or causes a disease (e.g. microbes), and describe all such things as a cause of poverty and misery. We reproduce below some such sayings from the book entitled Wasail alShiah: The holy Prophet has said: "Everybody who chooses a dress, must keep it clean". "Had it not been inconvenient I would have enjoined upon the Muslims to brush their teeth before every prayer". "He who sweeps a masjid is rewarded by Allah as if he manumitted a slave". "The dossier of the man who abstains from spitting and blowing his nose in the masjid, will be in his right hand on the Day of judgment". "Either take proper care of the long hair of your head or clip them". "Do not grow long moustaches, for the devil finds a shelter in them". Imam Ali (P) has said: "Remove cobwebs from your house, for they cause poverty. " Choose an open environment and a vast compound for living.

Special religious instructions exist as to which things are legally clean and which are unclean. We reproduce below some of these instructions from the book entitled `Articles of Islamic Acts'. At-taubah 28. O ye who believe! ... ... truly the pagans are unclean; C1278. Unclean: because Muslims are enjoined to be strict in cleanliness, as well as in purity of mind and heart, so that their word can be relied upon. ... ... so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque.