Introduction

Islam’s care for outer beauty of manAllah created man in the best shape and form. He says: “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds.” [The Fig: 4] and also says: “Him Who created thee. Fashioned thee in due proportion, and gave thee a just bias; in whatever Form He wills, does He put thee together.” [The Cleaving: 7, 8]. He also  describes the adornment and beauty that he bestowed on man on earth by saying: “That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.” [The Cave: 7]

The divine order to adorn and beautify came in the Noble Qur'an. Allah has also blamed those who reject to enjoy His gifts to his slaves. He says: “O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters. Say: Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He hath produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He hath provided) for sustenance? Say: They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment. Thus do We explain the signs in detail for those who understand.” [The Heights: 31, 32]

When Islam advises man to beautify and adorn, this does not only include the beauty of form and health such as the cleanliness of dress and body. It means, before all these, the beauty of manners and dealings, which creates a kind of integration in the human Islamic civilization. Human beauty has two kinds; internal and external.

Islam system’s care about outer beauty

It is no secret that cleanliness and beauty and taking care of both of them are two of the most important aspects in the Islamic civilization. They also, at the same time, are the best to reflect outer beauty. In fact, Islam was miraculous in this aspect. It came with a system that ensures the safety of body, soul and society and the whole humanity to the extent that the Noble Qur'an says that Allah “He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean” [The Cow: 222] and “Allah loveth those who make themselves pure” [The Repentance: 108]: meaning people who stay away from dirt.[1]

The Prophet (PBUH) says: “Purity is half of faith”[2]. Other scholars said in explanation of this hadith that “reward of purity is multiplied to reach half of the reward of faith”[3].

It is worth mentioning that all these directions came at a time when dirt was a distinguishing characteristic of the Europeans. They used to wash their bodies once or twice a year[4] to the extent that they considered dirt hanging from their bodies and dress as bless and something that gives their bodies strength.

Ghusl in Islam (wash or total ablution)

The Islamic system guided Muslims to taharah (purity) and need to wash. There is no purity for their bodies without ightisal (washing) and there are no prayers without ablution, which could be performed five times a day. Ghusl for Haid (menstruation) and Janabah (sexual impurity) is obligatory. It is favourable in the two festivals of Muslims and during ihram (a state in which one is prohibited to practice certain deeds in hajj or Umarah, which are lawful at other times). Scholars were divided whether it is favourable or mandatory on Fridays. It is said it is favourable. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri quotes the Prophet as saying: "Taking a ghusl on Friday is compulsory for everyone who has reached puberty."[5]

Islam even has sent time duration to perform ghusl. The Prophet (PBUH) says: “It is a duty upon every Muslim to perform ghusl once every seven days, by washing his head and body."[6]

Some scholars took the number of ghusl kinds to seventeen to show the importance of purity of body parts, particularly those where occurrence of diseases is expected or where they are liable to dirt.

Islam’s methodology in cleanliness

Islam’s system of cleanliness can be viewed in three steps: Ordering man to stay away from dirt, ordering him to be clean and making adornment favourable, which is a higher level than cleanliness

Muslims also learnt that ignoring tahara (purity) is a reason behind torture at tomb. The Prophet (PBUH once passed by two graves, and those two persons (in the graves) were being tortured. He said, "They are being tortured not for a great thing (to avoid). One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other was going about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends).”[7]

Once, the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man with an unkempt hair and untidy beard. The Prophet (PBUH) pointed to him, as if indicating to him that he should tidy up his hair and beard. The man went and did so, then returned. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Is this not better than that any one of you should come with unkempt hair?”[8]

The cleanliness of body parts where microbes sweat and dirt are there is from the sunan al-fitra (customs of nature). He says: “There are five (sunan) which are part of al-fitrah: Shaving the pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the moustache, plucking the armpit hair and trimming the nails.”[9]

He also says: "If it were not too much a burden on the believers, I would prescribe that they use the siwak (Tooth cleaner) before each prayer"[10]. Ibn Abbas says: “We were ordered to use siwak until we thought it would come down in the Noble Qur'an.”[11]

It is no wonder then to know that public baths spread in countries of Islamic civilization and became landmarks from an architectural point of view.

German Orientalist Sigrid Hunke held a comparison between the Islamic civilization at that time and between Europe and the West in this respect. She said that Andalucían faqih Al-Tartushi saw shocking things during his tours of Western countries. Hunke said that Al-Tartushi, a Muslim who should do ablution five times a day to pray, said: “You will never see dirtier people than them. They do not clean themselves or take baths except for once or twice a year and with cold water. As for their clothes, they never wash them after wearing until they become tattered.”  She adds: “Such a thing cannot be understood or tolerated by the elegant Arab. Cleanliness and purity of body for an Arab is not just a religious obligation but also a need under the circumstances of the hot weather.” She also mentioned that Baghdad in the tenth century abounded in public baths and their workers and visitors.[12]

She notes: “We say that although the hot weather prompts people to clean, the scarcity of rivers and water resources could be acceptable as reason for not being tough about a daily or weekly routine of cleaning. Europe is not all cold areas. There are hot regions in Europe and many rivers used to flow in it. However, many principles advocating being dirty started to emerge and dirty people in Europe used to feel proud.”

 Islam came with something behind cleanliness; it came with different kinds of adornment.

The Prophet (PBUH) made it clear that he loves scent. He said: “Beloved to me from your world are women and pleasant scent, and my greatest pleasure is in prayer."[13] One of his habits was that he never rejects scent gifts given to him[14]. He even recommended that “He who is presented with a flower should not reject it, for it is light to carry and pleasant in odour.”[15]

When a black dress was made for the Prophet and he dressed it and then sweated, he found the smell of wool in it. So, he tossed it away[16]. That’s why the servant of the Prophet Anas Ibn Malik says: “I never felt a silk cloth, or pure silk, or any other thing softer than the palm of the Prophet. Nor did I smell any musk or any other fragrance, more sweet smelling than the fragrance of his."[17]

That is also why cleanliness for Muslims was a religious order that they seek to obey to be rewarded. They also believe they should follow suit of their Prophet (PBUH).

[1] - Ibn Katheer, Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azeem, 1/588.

[2] - Muslim (223) and Ahmed (22953).

[3] - Al-Nawawi: Al-Menhaj, 3/100

[4] - Sigrid Hunke: Shams Al-Arab (Allah's Sun Over the Occident), P54.

[5] - Al-Bukhari (840) and Muslim (846)

[6] - Al-Bukhari (856) and Muslim (849)

[7] - Al-Bukhari (213) and Muslim (292)

[8] - Malek :Al-Muwataa (1702)

[9] - Al-Bukhari (5550) and Muslim (257)

[10] - Al-Bukhari (847), Abou Dawood (47), Al-Termezi (22) and Ahmed (7840).

[11] - Ibn Ali Shaybah (1793)

[12] - Sigrid Hunke: op. cit. P54

[13] - Al-Nasaea (3940) and Ahmed (14069)

[14] - Al-Nasaea (5258) and Ahmed (12127)

[15] - Muslim (2253)

[16] - Abou Dawood (4074)

[17] - Muslim (2330)

http://300035.dotdothktrade.tech/en/artical/3408701/Islam’s-care-for-outer-beauty-of-man