Human being is made up of body and soul; both need to be
clean. Hence in the Glorious Qur’an, there are Ayahs for both.
The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) was a Prophet thousands
of years before Adam was created. His worldly appointment (be’sat) was
announced while he (s.a.w.a.s.) was meditating in the cave of Hira around the
suburb of Makkah. The first five Ayahs of the Surah Al-Alaq, Surah al-Fatiha, Surah
al-Mudassar and Surah-al-Muzammil, were revealed in the early days of his
be’sat. In Surah al-Muzammil
Ayahs 4 and 5 says, “O Cloaked one, cleanse your clothes, stay away from filthy
matters (sins).” Fourteen hundred years back, Allah’s first command to His Messenger
was to be clean!
There are many Ayahs in the Glorious Qur’an instructing the
people about physical cleanliness some of them are:
Before starting the most important worship, salat/namaz, a
Muslim is required to perform wudu, described in Surah al-Ma’idah Ayah 6,
which says, “O you who have Faith! When you stand up for prayer, wash your
faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and your
feet up to the ankles; and if you are polluted (after cohabiting with your
wife), then perform a total ablution (shower), and if you are sick or on a
journey….and you cannot find water, then betake yourself to clean soil and wipe
a part of your faces and you hands with some of it…” (Tayammum)
Surah al-Taubah Ayah108 “…Allah loves those who purify
themselves.” Surah al-Anfal Ayah 11,”….He showered water from the sky over you to
clean you…” Surah al-Baqarah Ayah 222, “Avoid having carnal relations with them
until they are clean of menses and have taken a formal bath….”
As for the spiritual cleanliness and purity, there are many
Ayahs, some of them are:
Surah al-Shams Ayah 9-10, “…those who purify their souls will
certainly have everlasting happiness and those who corrupt their souls will
certainly be deprived (of happiness).” Surah
al-Tauba Ayah 103, “Collect religious tax (zakat) from them to purify and
cleans them and pray for them, your prayer gives them comfort.”
In Islamic culture cleanliness is of fundamental importance.
There is a Tradition of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) which says’ cleanliness is half of the faith’.
A Muslim when he performs wudu for salat, five times a day, he washes part of
his body. If he cohabits with his wife, he must take complete shower. Whenever
he goes to bathroom for natural call, he must wash his genitals and hands. He
washes hands before and after eating. He is also advised to wash hands when he returns
to his home. Similarly, he is advised to brush his teeth at least twice a day
and cleanse his mouth. He is supposed to take shower as frequently as possible,
trim and maintain his hair, cut his nails and remove public hair as frequently
as possible. He is supposed to keep his home neat and clean, take care of the
hygiene of his children. He is supposed to ensure that the vegetables, fruits
are thoroughly washed. He should be involved in the cleanliness of his community.
As a result of this Pandemic, doctors are advising to wash
hands while Islam had devised a system of cleanliness fourteen hundred years
back!
Sources:
The Glorious Qur’an – Tafsir-e-Namoona by Ayatollah Nasir Makarem Shirazi
An enlightening commentary into the Light of
the Holy Qur’an
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