Taharat & Cleanliness

To be clean means to be free from dirt. To be Tahir (Pak) means to be pure according to Islam. There is a big difference between these two words.


If you dress in new clothes, take a shower and put on some perfume or cologne, you will be clean. Then imagine that you go to the toilet and do not wash yourself properly.
You might still be clean, but now you are NAJIS.

When we go to the toilet, we should wash away the Najasat first, then wash ourselves twice better 3 times to make sure that we are TAHIR. It is no good using tissue paper by itself, because this may make us clean, but it will not keep us TAHIR.


It is always a good habit to try and be Tahir (or pure). Our 8th Imam (A) said:
"To be pure and clean is amongst the habits of the Prophets."
Also, Prophet Muhammad (S) has said
"Cleanliness and purity are part of faith."
The opposite of being Tahir is being Najis, and the opposite of Cleanliness in Uncleanliness. One should always try to avoid being both Najis and unclean. There are certain ways Islam explains us to be both Tahir and clean at the same time. These are shown below.
Wudhu:

Islam tells us to wash ourselves before praying. This washing is known as Wudhu. Some of the reasons why we do Wudhu are:

• it  keeps us clean
• it refreshes us and we can concentrate and think clearly

Ghusl:
Means to clean the body, with the Niyyat of cleaning it spiritually.
There are times when Ghusl becomes Wajib, i.e. when you touch a dead body. This means that you have to do Ghusl before you can pray Salaat.
Daily Bath:


 Islam is a religion, which not only tells you to keep your soul clean, but is also tells you to keep your body clean. You should take a regular bath or shower to keep your body clean

Washing of Face and Brushing Teeth:


In the morning when you wake up, you should wash your face and brush your teeth, This makes you feel fresh as well as cleaning the dirt that forms overnight.


Prophet Muhammad (S) has said, "Upon you is the brushing of the teeth, for surely it purifies the mouth and pleases Allah and brightens the eyesight. Indeed the Angels hate the odour from the mouth not cleaned after eating food"
Clean Clothing:


A Muslim should never dress with dirty clothes. This does not mean that you wear your best and most expensive clothes. It means that even if you have one piece of cloth to wear, you should keep      it clean.
When you wear clothes, you should wear it for yourself and not for others to look at.


Cutting Nails:

You should always cut your nails because they grow very long and can get very dirty
If you have long nails, dirt can get trapped underneath. When you eat, you will be putting that dirt in your food and swallowing it. This is very bad for your health and can lead to many illnesses.

Looking After Hair:
One should always comb his hair with a proper parting. You should never leave your hair messy and unkempt.
Prophet Muhammad (S) has said that if you can not look after your hair properly, you should shave it off!
This shows the importance of caring for your hair. This does not mean that you spend all your time making sure that each hair is in place. You should make sure that your hair is clean and tidy.
One important point about the above is that Islam has told us to keep our bodies clean because a clean body leads to a healthy body. If we do not look after our bodies we will get all sorts of illnesses. If you keep your body clean you will feel good, and fresh.