“… Allah loves those who turn to Him, and loves those who purify themselves.” [Qur’an, 2: 222]
To the exclusion of all other species, man is an exceptionally complex and dynamic living creature on earth. His cognitive functions, intellectual faculties, freedom of choice and action, vast resources at his disposal, ambitions for acquisitions and acceleration, inquisitive curiosity, and relentless creative instincts for exploration and invention, make him unique and phenomenal. His perspectives and perceptions, his view of the universe around him, and his understanding of his role in it make him mission-directed and accountable to his Creator. The sense instilled in his conscience guides him to discern between the lawful and the prohibited.
Thus, man is not merely a physical entity, simply needing some food and drink for survival. Essentially, many factors contribute to his physical and mental health and influence his state of mind for the effective functioning of his matchless gifted potential. An intellectual frame of reference and a sound belief system, consistent with human rationality, provide the mental and spiritual stability necessary for living a prolific life. Islam approaches his well-being from every aspect conceivable so that he can rightfully play his role as the supreme creation of Allah SWT.
Consonant with humans, Islam is not a religion limited to a set of spiritual routines or etiquettes. It is a discipline, called Deen (pathway), that recognizes the absolute Sovereignty of Allah SWT and accountability by Him on the Day of Judgement. Collectively, Islam is a combination of social, political, and economic institutions, in conjunction with the law and order focused on family and society: “Indeed, the Deen in the sight of Allah is Islam…” [Q, 3: 19] In practice, it guides people in every aspect of life for righteous conduct – in-depth and breadth – rooted in their individual and collective conscience. The attainment of this consciousness under Divine guidance is fundamental as it defines an individual’s character: “Verily, among the best of you are those with the best conduct.” [Bukhari]. His conduct includes his belief system, devotional services, fiscal responsibility, transactional activities, civic engagement, and interpersonal relations. Given the full awareness of right and wrong, man has been granted freedom to follow any path of his choosing with the mindfulness of its consequences and to stand accountable for it.
Allah SWT has created this world and everything in it for our benefit: “It is He Who has created for you all of that which is on the earth…” [Q, 2: 29] He encourages His loyal to seek the best of both worlds by asking Him: “…Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good…” [Q, 2: 201] In fact, the two worlds are phases of the same continuum; one transitioning into the other. The present one sets the stage for action, and the next one is the forum for recognition. Only those who succeed in the present life will emerge as successful in the one that follows. Similarly, a failure here will result in a failure over there.
The measure of success in Islam, however, is the closeness to Allah SWT attained by adopting a clean and righteous lifestyle pleasing to Him: “Whosoever acts righteously – whether a man or a woman and embraces belief, we will surely grant him a life of purity (Tayyab); and will surely grant such person their reward (in the Next Life) consonant with their best deeds.”[Q, 16: 97] Such people are perceptibly better in their worldly life than those who are devoid of faith and live deviant life. This is because those who live a tayyab life, even when their material conditions are unenviable, enjoy an inner peace and serenity which is beyond the reach of people of blemished character even when they live in a glitzy luxury.
Islam directs people to live a wholesome and meaningful life in accordance with Allah’s commandments as delivered by His Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad SAW. The dutifulness to Allah SWT must generate momentum for a complete overhaul of life and the way it should be conducted. Hygiene, health, and fitness occupy a great deal of Islam’s spectrum. Caring for one’s hygiene is not only deemed a good habit, it constitutes a part of the faith itself in Islam.
Personal hygiene is very basic to healthcare. It is also the starting point in Islam. Soon after embracing Islam, the first order of business is personal hygiene. The person must take a bath (Gusal) in a prescribed way to achieve purification, in order to be able to offer five-time daily prayers. Taharah (purification) is an Islamic concept of spiritual cleanliness or mental readiness to perform act(s) of worship. One who has acquired taharah is Tahir. An object that meets that standard is Tayyab or Tayyibah, which has many meanings, such as: good, pure, clean, noble, healthy, wholesome, beneficial, and favorable. The Qur’an has implied all these meanings in varying contexts, like the cleanliness of beliefs, soul, body, clothes, eating, drinking, thoughts, character, wealth, and the environment. Equivalent to taharah, the Quran has also used the term Tazkiyah often to describe self-purification: “He who purifies himself shall prosper.” [Q, 87: 14]
Since taharah is required for every act in Islam, the Prophet SAW calls it half of the faith: “Purity is half of Faith” [Muslim]; and the Qur’an further expands its scope: “Truly, Allah loves those who seek His forgiveness (abstain from evils) and who purify themselves.” [Q, 2: 222] It clearly implies that Allah SWT loves a person who is both physically and spiritually sanitized.
Half of faith is the declaration of the faith itself: “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is Messenger of Allah.” This declaration is known as Kalimah Tayyab (good word). By pronouncing this kalimah, a person negates all false deities and reverts solely to his Creator. The Qur’an uses the analogy of a good tree to describe it: “Do you not see how Allah has given the example of a good (kalimah tayyibah) word? It is like a good (tayyab) tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches reach the sky, ever yielding its fruit in every season with the leave of its Lord…” [Q, 14: 24, 25] This declaration fundamentally affirms the Oneness of Allah SWT and Afterlife. Since the entire system of the universe confirms the doctrine of kalimah, one who confesses it never comes into conflict with the Divine Law and is always at peace with oneself.
The ‘good word’ is so fruitful and productive that those who base their lives on it continually benefit from the good results ensuing from it. For it brings clarity in thoughts, stability in attitude, firmness in character, purity in morals, forthrightness in dealing with others, honesty in business and politics, refinement in social relationships, balance in collective life, justice and compassion in peace or war. Everything under this doctrine is elegant, peaceful, and rewarding.
More importantly, the good word’ provides its followers sustained stability of thoughts and mind, a firm intellectual frame of reference, and a comprehensive worldview: “Thus, through a firm word, Allah grants firmness to the believers both in this world and in the Hereafter.” [Q, 14: 27] With clarity of mind and rational thinking, they are able to resolve all complicated issues of life. It provides them with peace of mind and prevents them from stumbling in confusion. In the Hereafter, too, kilimah tayyab will save them from fear and anxiety. Everything will occur there as they had been told and nothing would happen for which they were not mentally prepared.
Prophet Ibrahim and son Ismail were commanded by Allah SWT to purify His House (Ka’ba): “…Purify My House…” [Q, 2: 125] Here it does not mean keeping the area clean of dirt. Purity here means cleansing the filth of kufr (disbelief), shirk (polytheism) and idol-worshipping; and glorifying the name of Allah SWT alone in it. Likewise, the Prophet SAW was commanded to purify his clothes: “O you (Muhammad)…keep your garments pure…” [Q, 74: 4] A clean body cannot reside in filthy clothes nor can a pure soul reside in an unclean body. It is more so about a sound mind with noble thinking and the ensuing lifestyle. Such a person cannot accept living in a morally corrupt environment. The same taharah standards apply to all other tracks of life. By nature, the Prophet SAW was a well-dressed, meticulous and sophisticated person. While the garments should be clean, the commandment is a metaphorical reference to maintaining a spotless character and safeguarding it against any moral stains. Nobody should ever have the excuse to tarnish it. The garments must be dignified, but without any trace of arrogance, pompous or fake humility. Perceptibly, the dress is the first introduction of a person and tells a lot about his personality and self-image: “...the finest of all is the garment of piety…” [Q, 7: 26]
There is a general permission for using all pure and wholesome things Allah SWT has provided: “Say: Who has forbidden the adornment that Allah has brought forth for His creatures or the tayyab (good) things from among the means of sustenance? Say: These are for the enjoyment of the believers in this world, and shall be exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection…” [Q, 7: 32] Since it is Allah SWT Who has created all wholesome things for man, He could not have made them unlawful. In this world, they are for His faithful subjects, although those who are His disloyal are not denied either. In the Hereafter, His bounties will be for His loyal servants alone.
The code of tahara also applies to whatever people may consume: “So eat out of the lawful and tayyab (pure) sustenance that Allah has provided you, and thank Allah for His favor if it is Him that you obey.” [Q, 16: 114] They may partake of all that has been declared lawful and tayyab. Conversely, they must abstain from all things declared unlawful in the Divine Law. The sources of nourishment are also provided through living beings: “Surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle: We provide you to drink out of that which is in their bellies… – pure milk – which is a palatable drink for those who take it.” [Q, 16: 66] Honey too is so full of healing benefits that it needed an explicit mention in the Qur’an: “…There comes forth from their (bees’) bellies a drink varied in colors, wherein there is healing for men…”[Q, 16: 69] The healing properties of honey are relatively less known. It is inherently useful in the treatment of certain diseases for it preserves the juice and glucose of flowers and fruits in its best form and lasts for long time.
Personal hygiene is a prerequisite to achieving taharah. A person may be physically clean but may not yet be tahir unless follows a particular process of cleanliness. For each daily prayer, for example, a person must first perform Wudu (ablution) with the intention of tahara. He must wash certain parts of the body in a prescribed way and sequence: “…When you intend to offer the prayer, wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. But if you are in a state of janabah (had a sexual discharge), then purify yourselves (by performing gusl) …”[Q, 5: 6] Underscoring the significance of wudu, the Prophet SAW once reflected: “On the Day of Judgement those who complete a perfect wudu will be identifiable by the light radiating from the areas washed in wudu.” [Bukhari]
Evidence is strong that the Prophet SAW was very conscientious about his personal hygiene. He used to wear perfume, often advised his followers to practice it, and always groomed his beard. He instructed Muslims to maintain their personal cleanliness – washing body after relieving oneself, clipping nails, and brushing teeth included. He frequently used to brush his teeth with miswak (tooth stick). Highlighting the use of miswak, he said: “Miswak cleanses and purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord.”[Nasa’i]He could not be more categorical when he said: “Were it not that I might overburden my followers, I would have commanded them to use the miswak before every prayer.”[Bukhari, Muslim] Always longing the best for his followers, once he said: “A prayer with a miswak is better than seventy prayers without a miswak.” [Bayhaqi] Until the very end of his life he practiced this for the hygiene of his teeth and freshness of mouth.
Continuing with cleanliness routines, the Prophet SAW included five practices as human nature: “Five are the acts of Fitrah (natural dispositions): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair.” [Bukhari, Muslim] Four of these are sources of impurities as well as causes of the offensive odor, which is socially undesirable. Mustache is unhygienic and the Prophet SAW has clearly advised to trim it and let the beard grow. He said: “Be different from the idolaters. Let the beard grow and trim the mustache.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
In addition to when it becomes necessary for purification, frequent gusl (bath) is advisable as a good hygiene habit, at least every Friday. It is a major part of preparations for the mandatory congregational prayers on Friday, as detailed by the Prophet SAW: “Whoever takes gusl (bath) on Friday and does it well, and purifies himself and does it well, and puts on his best clothes, and puts on whatever Allah decrees for him of the perfume of his family, then comes to the mosque and does not engage in idle talk or separates (pushing between) two people; he will be forgiven for (his sins) between that day and the previous Friday.” [Ibn Majah]
In sum, cleanliness is inspired in human nature. While people generally consider cleanliness to be a healthy and pleasing attribute, Islam insists on personal hygiene, physical and spiritual purification, and beyond. It is embedded in the belief system. Muslims are required to be meticulous about their personal hygiene by assuring that they are well-groomed, and that their bodies, clothing, and surroundings are clean. This includes the sources of basic amenities, water and food, and the environment in general. Hygienic conditions cannot be sustained locally unless the surrounding environment is conducive as well. Partaking in this effort is an Islamic duty. The Prophet SAW used to remove rubbish whenever he noticed along his way and taught Muslims to adopt this practice: “Removing a harmful object from pathways is a charity.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
Islamic Point of View 