Cleanliness and purification are one of the great privileges of Islam. Islam has given so much importance to cleanliness that it has been considered to be an objective of the faith. Caring for one’s hygiene is not only deemed a good habit in Islam but also rendered into rituals that constitute part of the faith itself. A Muslim is required to be clean when performing daily Prayers, which includes properly cleaning oneself after using the toilet and practising ablution. Allah says:

وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُم بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

“And remember (the) Favor (of) Allah upon you and His covenant which He bound you with [it] when you said, “We heard and we obeyed;” and consciously revere Allah. Indeed, Allah (is) All-Knower of what (is in) the breasts.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:7)

The great encouragement for cleaning teeth as shown in the hadiths below reveals to what extent Islam was careful even for the details of personal hygiene. A healthy strong believer is better in the sight of Allah than a weak one as the former is more qualified to fulfil the objectives of Islam and serve humanity. Allah says:

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ

 “But not was (the) answer (of) his people except that they said, “Drive out (the) family (of) Lut from your town. Indeed, they (are) people who keep clean.” (Surah An-Naml 27:56 )

Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and spiritual aspects. Cleanliness has an important place in Islam. Many acts of worship in Islam necessitate that one is physically and ritually pure. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community, and he is rewarded by God for doing so.

Some of Islam’s stance on health and hygiene:

1. Tooth brushing is highly recommended
2. Cleanliness is part and parcel of faith
3. Rituals on Muslims’ best day
4. Miswak before every prayer
5. Keep environment clean
6. Be strong and healthy
7. Overeating is not healthy
8. Using medicine is encouraged
9. Personal hygiene is a human nature
10. Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity

Most people believe that cleanliness or purification is a part of Iman or Faith. This assumption probably has a point, especially in Islam. Islam has given so much importance to cleanliness and became a consideration as an objective of the faith or Iman. There are many instructions in connec­tion with health, hygiene and nutrition and about the cleanliness of air and environment in Islam.

Some of them are listed below:

• Wash your mouth and hands before and after a meal.
• Take a bath and perform ablution for offering prayers.
• Go to bed early and rise early in the morning.
• Keep your clothes and body clean.
• Use fragrance or perfume.
• Do Miswak regularly.
• Go for a walk in the morning.
• Keep food and water covered.
• Comb your hair and use oil on the hair.
• Offer Salah a clean body and clothes.
• Keep your house and streets clean or we can say keep your environment clean.

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Take from their wealth a charity, purifying them and cause them to increase by it, and bless [upon] them. Indeed, your blessings (are a) reassurance for them. And Allah (is) All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Surah At Taubah 9: 103)

Cleanliness has become a part of our life. Allah SWT and Prophet Muhammad saw has ordered us many times to be clean and maintain the cleanliness, with a purpose for an Ummah’s better life. Also, there is a rule for cleaning, which it means must be clean; lawful; not containing any single part of a dead body in its texture, which can bring a bacteria or else that can intoxicate our body; not containing any part of an animal where its legally inedible or being protected by laws.

The Holy Prophet has said:

• “Everybody who chooses a dress must keep it clean”.
• “Keep the compound and the front part of your house well‑swept and clean”.
• “He who sweeps a masjid is rewarded by Allah as if he manumitted a slave”.
• “Either take proper care of the long hair of your head or clip them”.
• “Do not grow long moustaches, for the devil finds shelter in them”.
• “Had it not been inconvenient I would have enjoined upon the Muslims to brush their teeth before every prayer”.
• “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”.

لَن يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلَّا أَذًى وَإِن يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ يُوَلُّوكُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

“You are the best community that hath been raised for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah.” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:111)

According to a Hadith, prayers (Salat) will not be accepted without ablution. But ablution is indeed an important thing to do not only before saying prayers; ablution must be performed before numerous other acts of worship including optional prayers, touching the script of the Holy Qur’an and performing the rites of pilgrimage (Hajj). Every Muslim needs to know the method of ablution (Wudu).

On the whole, there are many Islamic injunctions in connec­tion with health, hygiene and nutrition and about the cleanliness of air and environment:

• Wash fruit before eating it.
• Do not eat food while it is too hot.
• Observe regularity about food.
• Do not gulp water in one single draught.
• Drink it slowly.
• Do not puff up water or hot food.
• Take small morsels of food and chew them well.
• Wash your hands and mouth before and after every meal.
• Keep food and water covered.
• Massage your body regularly.
• Use perfume and rub oil over your body and the hair of your head.
• Comb and dress the hair of your head.
• Do not take injurious food or drink.
• Offer prayers with a clean body and pure clothes.
• Go to bed early and rise early.
• Keep your head out of the covering while sleeping.
• Have a walk in the morning.
• Wash your mouth and hands before and after a meal.
• Keep food and water covered.
• Offer Salah a clean body and clothes.
• Use fragrance or perfume.
• Comb your hair and use oil on the hair.
• Take a bath and perform ablution for offering prayers.
• Go to bed early and rise early in the morning.
• Go for a walk in the morning.
• Keep your clothes and body clean.
• Choose an open environment and a vast compound for a living.
• Keep your house and streets clean or we can say keep your environment clean.
• Wash your head and face after a hair‑cut and wash your hands after clipping your fingernails.
• Do not take food without having the appetite and stop eating a little before the stomach is full.
• Aske bath or perform ablution, as the case may be, for offering prayers and observing all the rules concern­ing them.

مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ

“(It) is not for the polytheists that they maintain (the) masajid of Allah (while) witnessing against themselves [with] disbelief. (For) those, worthless (are) their deeds, and in the Fire they (will) abide forever.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:17)

While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute, Islam insists on it, making it an indispensable fundamental of the faith. A Muslim is required to be pure morally and spiritually as well as physically. Through the Quran and Sunnah Islam requires the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life. May Allah give us the strength to obey His commands and get rewards and blessings from Him! Ameen