Muslims enjoy the highest standard of personal hygiene of all the people in the world. In Islam, cleanliness and purification are not only requirements for the performance of worship, or when embracing Islam, but are part of a Muslim’s very faith. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
"…Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers etc.)." (Al Baqarah 2:222)
Cleanliness in Islam is of three kinds:
1. Purification from impurity (i.e. to attain purity
or cleanliness, by taking a bath (ghusl) or performing ablution (wudu) in
states in which a bath or ablution is necessary or desirable according to
Islamic Law).
2. To cleanse one’s body, dress or place from an impurity of filth.
3. To remove the dirt or grime that collects in various parts of the body,
such as cleaning the teeth and nostrils, the trimming of nails and the removing
of armpit and pubic hair.
This is when all parts of the body are thoroughly washed. Ghusl is required of every Muslim after marital intercourse, after wet dreams, after child-birth, and after post-partum bleeding (40-days flow of blood, and final yellowish discharge has completely stopped), and each month after menstruation and final yellowish discharge has stopped.
This simple ablution is necessary before prayer
in the following cases:
· After urinating or defecating
· If one breaks wind
· If one falls asleep lying down
· If one loses consciousness
· If one directly touches the genitals
· If one becomes excited, leading to a subsequent discharge
The above cases also nullify one’s ablution, requiring a fresh one.
Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
"O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (fore0arms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body)…." (Al-Ma’idah 5:6)
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA):
"Allah's Apostle said, "The prayer of a person
who does, Hadath (passes, urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs
(repeats) the ablution." A person from Hadaramout asked Abu Huraira, "What
is 'Hadath'?" Abu Huraira replied, " 'Hadath' means the passing of wind from
the anus."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 137)
Narrated 'Abbas bin Tamim:
"My uncle asked Allah's Apostle about a person who imagined to have passed wind during the prayer. Allah' Apostle replied: 'He should not leave his prayers unless he hears sound or smells something.'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari,Volume 1, Book 4, Number 139)
The superiority of ablution. And Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun (the parts of the body of the Muslims washed in ablution will shine on the Day of Resurrection and the angels will call them by that name) from the traces of ablution. Narrated Nu’aim Al-Mujmir:
"Once I went up the roof of the mosque along with Abu Huraira (RA): He performed ablution and said, "I heard the Prophet (SAW) saying, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, my followers will be called Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun from the traces of ablution and whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so (by performing ablution in the most perfect manner.’" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Hadith No. 138)
Narrated Uthman ibn Affan (RA):
"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.'" (Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Number 0476)
To put or strike lightly the hands over clean earth and then pass the palm of each on the back of the other, blow off the dust then pass them on the face. This is performed instead of ablution (Wudu) and Ghusl (in case of Janaba etc.). Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
"…But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favor on you that you may be thankful." (Al-Ma’idah 5:6)
To illustrate the importance of Muslims maintaining their high level of personal hygiene, the following points are specifically mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on attending the call of nature.
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin (RA):
"The Prophet (SAW) used his right hand for getting water for ablution and taking food, and his left hand for his evacuation and for anything repugnant." (Sunan Abu Dawud)
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
"When the Prophet (SAW) felt the need of relieving himself, he went far off where no one could see him." (Sunan Abu Dawud)
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
If someone touches somebody else’s private parts with lust, then that invalidates his ablution. However, there is a difference of opinion when such is touched without lust. The strongest opinion is that touching the private parts of a baby in order to clean the baby does not nullify ablution because such is not a cause of sexual desire. Furthermore, it is something that almost all people have to go through and if it were to nullify ablution it would cause great hardship. And if it did nullify ablution, this would have been well-known among the Companions and those who came afterwards. - Shaikh ibn Jibreen
Removing pubic and underarm hairs is Sunnah. It is best to pluck the armpit hairs and shave the pubic hairs. But, there is no harm if they are removed by different means. There is no harm in the woman removing her leg and arm hairs. Removing eyebrow hairs at the request of the husband is not allowed. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) cursed the one who does the removing and the one who has it done. This is in reference to the one who has eyebrow hairs removed. - Shaikh ibn Baz (ra)
Narrated Aisha (RA):
"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Ten are the acts according to fitrah: clipping the moustache,letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing up water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, and cleaning one's private parts with water.' The narrator said: 'I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.'" (Sahih Muslim)
Is it allowed for a woman to remove or lighten the hairs of her eyebrows if they appear in a disfigured manner?
This question has two aspects to it. The first is if that is done by plucking out those hairs. That is forbidden. Indeed, it is a great sin. It is an act whose performer the Prophet (SAW) cursed. Second is to have the hair trimmed or clipped. On this point there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. Is this also a kind of removing the eyebrows or not? It is best to avoid that act and for the woman not to do it. As for the hair that is uncommon or unusual for women to have, such as what grows on part of the face wherein women usually do not have hair growth, such as a woman having a mustache or cheek hair growth, there is no harm in removing that kind of hair. This is because it goes against what is normal and is a kind of disfigurement of the woman. As for eyebrows, it is normal for them to be either very thin or very thick and wide. Both of these are normal. If something is normal, it should be opposed because the people will not view it as a blemish. In fact, they may consider its non-existence or its existence as a thing of beauty. Therefore, it is not a type of blemish that calls for removal. - Shaikh ibn Uthaimin (ra)
There is no doubt that it is forbidden to keep a
dog except for those cases that the Shariah has specifically permitted.
Whoever has a dog- unless it be a hunting, livestock or farm dog- will lose
a qirat’s (a very large portion) worth of his reward every day.
If he loses a qirat’s worth of reward, it means that he is committing
a sin because one does not lose reward except by committing sin. Hence, both
of these aspects show that it is forbidden, due to the result of that.
In this case, I advise all of those who are deceived into following what
the disbelievers do concerning having dogs as pets, that such dogs are evil
and a great impurity. The impurity of a dog is not cleansed except by washing
a container (in which it licked) seven times, one of them being with soil.
Even the pig, that Allah (SWT) has declared in the Quran to be unlawful and
impure, has not reached that extent. Therefore, dogs are impure and dirty.
However, with deep apologies, we find some people deceived by the ways of
the disbelievers who like impure things and, therefore, they also keep dogs
as pets without any need or necessity. They keep the dogs, bring them and
clean them, although they can never become cleansed even if one uses an entire
sea. This is because their impurity is a physical impurity.
Furthermore, they waste a lot of money on such dogs and this is wasted money.
The Prophet (SAW) has forbidden the wasting of money. I advise those who
have been deceived to repent to Allah (SWT) and to get the dogs out of their
houses. As for those who need the dogs for hunting, farming or livestock,
there is no harm in that because the Prophet (SAW) has permitted
that. - Shaikh ibn
Uthaimin
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA):
Allah's Apostle said, "If somebody keeps a dog, he loses one Qirat (of the reward) of his good deeds everyday, except if he keeps it for the purpose of agriculture or for the protection of livestock. " (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal:
"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) ordered killing of the dogs and then said: What about them, i.e. about other dogs? - and then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time." (Sahih Muslim)