my faith
...
ISLAM
90
Cleanliness and personal hygiene form a major
part of bodily health. "
Purity is half of the faith
,"
declared the noble Prophet Muhammad [s] and stressed
the importance of regular baths, ablutions and the use of
the
miswak
, the tooth stick. This is all the more remarkable
in an environment where water was at a premium.
Cleanliness and personal hygiene are maintained as part of
religious devotion and as part of a natural daily routine. A
Muslim is required to wash his private parts after going to
the toilet. He is required to be in a state of
Wudu’
, for
Wudu’
is a condition for
Salah
and
Salah
is performed five times a
day.
Wudu’
cleans parts of the body which are not normal-
ly cleaned during the course of the day such as the feet,
nostrils and behind the ears.
Cleanliness remains the chief factor inhibiting the spread of
disease. Wherever you live and no matter how poor you
are, Islam requires of you to remain clean and develop
habits of cleanliness.
Wudu’
Before Muslims pray, it is essential to be in a ritually pure
condition. This means that we must wash our hands, faces,
and feet before we are allowed to perform the
salah
(ritual
prayer). The procedure for attaining this cleanliness is
called
wudu
’, or ablution. Islam teaches that before we
present ourselves before Allah (God), we must make every
effort to look presentable. Would you meet the president
with dirt on your face? Would you cook dinner without first
washing your hands? Would you go to school in sweats
and uncombed hair? Even as we try to make a good
impression on others, so, too, does Allah give us a way to
make ourselves fit for His review.
One of the primary aims of
Wudu’
and of obtaining purity is
to secure inner light and tranquility as well as to dispel evil
thoughts. Furthermore, perplexity and anxiety are washed
away. Thus, the spirit of
Wudu’ (ritual
purification) is inner
light, happiness of the heart and contentment.
Wudu
’thus refreshes and prepares an individual for prayer.
It dispels worldly anxiety and pre-occupation and as such
the devotee is attentive and cognizant when he prays.
PT
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