Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Recently I have begun going to revert classes given by our maulana at the masjid. Alhamdulillah, it is so interesting to learn more there, along with my growing number of books, about our beautiful Deen! One of the first things any beginner learns about Islam, besides how to perform Salaah, is the laws of purity and cleanliness – how to perform istinja, wudhu and ghusl, the different types of water, those things that are impure (najaasah), and how to remove them. To a revert, it can be quite bewildering at first, because when I was Christian I never noticed these things! (I mean, why would one need such detailed directions to go to the loo?? And everybody knows how to shower, surely?... J) To top it all, it is even more challenging when there is a close proximity to those things termed impure – pork in the fridge and the pan, wine in the cupboard, and a dog in the house!

What to do? Apart from aiming to move out one day (insha’Allah) into a Muslim-friendly home, I have to just make do and fit myself into the household for the time being – and on the other hand make a special effort to be good to my parents who are puzzled at the demands of Islam. In a way, this challenge to integrate myself in this household; to strike a balance between separation from impurities on one hand, with a togetherness with my loved ones on the other, is an opportunity to grow strong in understanding my Deen. I am thrown into this situation where I must learn the why’s of cleanliness, in order to cope with the bewilderment (and sometimes even criticism) of loved ones, and the questions asked me as to why the dog is so unclean, why I wash already-washed dishes before I use them – and what that bottle in the bathroom is for!  How could I explain myself and defend Islam’s views which are seen by some loved ones as a life of “bondage”?

This is what I have learned so far about cleanliness – and, far from being bondage, it is liberating – that is, if one knows the spiritual significance…

With every outer practice of Islam there is an inner spiritual message behind it, which together form an integral whole. Dualism is foreign to our Deen. Each law, no matter how small, has been given to us, so we are constantly reminded of Allah (SWT) and who we are in relation to Him.

Physically, cleanliness reminds us that Almighty Allah is 100% Pure, and to clean ourselves is to physically honour His Purity. To come into His presence, we clean to prepare ourselves to meet Him, and at the same time, we also benefit our health. This is because the laws of Islam with regards to daily living have been scientifically proven to be the best way for us. To follow Islam is to live in optimum health. There is not much need to go into detail about the benefits of keeping physically clean, as it is a natural, innate desire in each of us to want to be clean, and we all know how harmful germs borne by filth are to us. We are not pigs who like wallowing in dirt, but Allah Ta’ala’s highest creation endowed with the blessings of reason and intelligence. These gifts He gave us to worship Him with, and to use them is to find happiness in life.

Spiritually, the laws of cleanliness give us a lot of food for thought. I discovered that to perform ablution reminds us of our inner need for constant repentance, and not only that, but it reminds us how Allah (SWT) is so pure compared to us with our weaknesses and sins. 

More significantly, I realised that to keep clean inside and out, is a constant jihad; an ongoing struggle. As I sweep my bedroom floor, (which, despite the dog being banned, still gets dog hairs coming in!) it is an act of striving towards cleanliness. As I wash my clothes, it is a reminder, that once again I need to make clean that which has been sullied. As I clean my body yet again, I remember that I must examine my soul again, too. An important thing to remember here, is that our bodies are not something to be ashamed of; if we need to remove waste from it when going to the loo, this is not a reason to get disgusted at our bodies, but to be grateful that we are able to rid ourselves of impurities. Perhaps I can even venture to say that it is a physical act corresponding to the spiritual act of repentance (taubah); to rid oneself of the waste of sin and restore purity of heart.

Allah Ta’ala created us, and all creation – even haraam animals such as dogs and pigs. Yet the things in life, pure and impure, are given to us as signs to remind us of greater spiritual truths. If our bodies remained pure all the time, we would forget how we are in need of inner purity. The reality of sin coexists with the reality of dirt to remind us that both need to be removed from us. It is only in Paradise that no wudhu or istinja or ghusl is needed, because there is no sin and evil there, either.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and to keep ourselves clean is like symbolically going up a mountain to meet Him. It teaches us perseverance; to constantly fight against dirt and sin shows that we desire to be near Allah (SWT). And with the high standard of cleanliness in Islam, it is a reminder that Allah deserves our best efforts and that any sin, no matter how small, is to be removed.

All praise be to Allah, our Creator, Cherisher and Sustainer, for giving us such a pristine Deen. And peace, salutations and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for demonstrating  this Deen to us!

Salaam

Saadiqah

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