Cleanliness in Islam

Essential wisdom to get closer to ALLAH and gain His pleasure from the
Quran and Sunnah

OVERVIEW

Cleanliness of the mind, body and soul is prerequisite to getting closer to ALLAH and
distancing ourselves from our enemies amongst the devils. Maintaining a clean living
space and our clothing free from impurities is an obligation upon every Muslim. In order
to pray to our Creator which is a pillar of Islam we must be in a state of purity with clean
clothes. Performing this act of purification is known as wudu, ghusl and tayammum.
The purifying agent is clean water and when that is not available or unhealthy to use for
medical reasons clean dirt, mud or stone can take its place. The ritual of purification will
last until a person falls asleep, loses consciousness or has a natural bodily discharge of
gas, urine, stool or ejaculation. In the situation of ejaculation ghusl must be performed
and if one falls asleep upright they don’t lose their state of purification or wudu.

Quran

1. “Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who
purify themselves” [Quran, 2:222]

2. “[Remember] when He overwhelmed you with drowsiness [giving] security from

3. “O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces
and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to
the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you
are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or
 you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and
wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty
for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you
may be grateful” [Quran 5:6]

4. “We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our
verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching
you that which you did not know” [Quran 2:151]

Hadiths
1. Abu Malik al-Ash'ari reported: The Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be
upon him, said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Lillah (all praise and
gratitude is for Allah alone) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)
and al-Hamdu Lillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and
prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a
brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men
go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free
or destroying themselves.

2. ‘Atiyyah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said, “Verily, anger comes from Satan and Satan was created from fire. Fire is
extinguished with water, so if you become angry then perform ablution with
water.” Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4784

3. Humran, the freed slave of 'Uthman, said: Uthman b. 'Affan called for ablution
water and this is how he performed the ablution. He washed his hands thrice. He
then rinsed his mouth and cleaned his nose with water (three times). He then
washed his face three times, then washed his right arm up to the elbow three
times, then washed his left arm like that, then wiped his head; then washed his
right foot up to the ankle three times, then washed his left foot like that, and then
said: I saw the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him perform

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 ablution like this ablution of mine. Then the Messenger of Allah peace and
blessings be upon him, said: He who performs ablution like this ablution of mine
and then stood up (for prayer) and offered two rak'ahs of prayer without allowing
his thoughts to be distracted, all his previous sins are expiated. Ibn Shihab said:
Our scholars remarked: This is the most complete of the ablutions performed for
prayer. Source Sahih Muslim 226a Book 2 Hadith 5

4. Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “You
must use the toothstick, as it is pleasant for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 5831 Grade Sahih

5. It was narrated from Simak bin Harb, that Mus'ab bin Sa'd said: “Abdullah bin
'Umar came to visit Ibn 'Amir when he was sick and he said: 'Won't you
supplicate to Allah for me, O Ibn 'Umar ?' He said: 'I heard the Messenger of
Allah peace and blessings be upon him, say: "No Salat is accepted without
Wudu' (purification), and no charity (is accepted) that comes from Ghulul [1] " and
you were the governor of Al-Basrah.' " [1] Goods pilfered from the spoils of war
prior to their authorized distribution. Source Sahih Muslim 224a Book of
Purification Book 2 Hadith 2

6. Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Ten acts are part of natural instinct: trimming the mustache, letting the beard
grow, using the tooth stick, sniffing water into the nose, clipping the nails,
washing the knuckles, removing hair from the underarms, shaving pubic hair, and
cleaning the private parts with water.” Mus’ab said: I forgot the tenth, except that
it might be rinsing the mouth. Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 261, Grade: Sahih

7. Ibn Abbas reported: It was said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon

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 him, “O Messenger of Allah, the Angel Gabriel has been slow to come to you.”
The Prophet said: “And why should he not be slow to come to me while you are
around me without brushing your teeth, clipping your nails, shortening your
mustaches, or cleaning your knuckles?” Source: Musnad Aḥmad 2182, Grade:
Hasan

8. Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, came to us and he saw an unkempt man with disheveled hair. The
Prophet said: “Could this man find nothing to groom his hair?” The Prophet saw
another man with a dirty garment and he said: “Could this man find nothing to
wash his garment?” Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4062, Grade: Sahih

9. “No salah is accepted without wudu (purification)” Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Hadith
2

10.Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, said: “It is a duty for Allah upon every Muslim to perform a ritual bath at least
once every seven days, washing his head and his body.” Source: Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī 856, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

11.Abu Ayyub reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said: “There are four traditions of the Messengers: Modesty, wearing perfume,
using the toothstick, and marriage.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1080, Grade:
Hasan

12.Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, said: “The perfume of men is that which scent is apparent and color is

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 hidden. The perfume of women is that which scent is hidden and color is
apparent. Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2787, Grade: Sahih

13. Anas reported that: “Al-'Ishaa’ prayer had been proclaimed, and then a man
said: 'I have some need.' So, the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him
started to talk with the man in a whisper till the other people (in their company)
or some of them fell asleep. Then, they (woke up and) performed the prayer
[i.e. without renewing their ablution].” Another narration reads: “Till the
Prophet's peace and blessings be upon him companions fell asleep and then
he led them in prayer (without them renewing ablution).” Source: Muslim

14. It was narrated from Abu Dharr that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon
him said: “Whoever takes a bath on a 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 separate (pushing between) two people; he will be
forgiven for (his sins) between that day and the previous Friday.” Source: Sunan
Ibn Majah 1097