Our Prophet’s (Saas) Modernity and Cleanliness, an Example to All Muslims

The life of our Prophet (saas) is the finest model for Muslims of how
to live by the moral values of the Qur'an. Our Prophet (saas)
advised believers to avoid all behavior that is incompatible with
the moral values of the Qur'an, and advised them to be clean, in
mind and body, and set an example for them on this.
What is our Prophet's (saas) conception of cleanliness that
represents a model for believers?
How did our Prophet (saas) dress and wear his hair?
What does Mr. Adnan Oktar say about our Prophet's (saas) modernity
and cleanliness, a model for all Muslims?
The grooming of the Prophet's (saas) hair and beard
The Prophet (saas) attached the greatest importance to cleanliness,
and therefore, to his hair and beard, too. It is reported in some
sources that he always carried with him a comb, mirror, miswak (a
small natural toothbrush), tooth-pick, scissors and a kuhl bottle.
(Islam and Christianity, the Superior Morality and Habits of Hadrat
Muhammad; www.hizmetbooks.org/I slam-andChristianity /10.htm)
The Prophet (saas) advised his companions to do the same, and said:
"He who has hair should honor it." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33,
Number 4151)
The Prophet (saas) set an example for the believers with the
importance he attached to his appearance and cleanliness. One
account describes the Prophet's (saas) attitude to such matters:
"The Prophet (saas) once intended to go to his companions and so he
put on his turban and dressed his hair…He said: 'Yes, Allah loves the
actions of His servant who refines his body in order to meet his
friends and brothers'." (Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book
of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,
Volume III, p.268)
Ummu Hani (pbuh), daughter of Abu Talib, relates:
"Rasulullah honored our home when he came to Mecca. At that time his
blessed head was plaited in four strands." (Et-Tirmidhi Imam Abu İ'sa
Muhammed, Şemail-i Şerife, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 51)
As revealed in the verse, "… Allah loves those who turn back from
wrongdoing and He loves those who purify themselves " (Surat
al-Baqara, 222) cleanliness is a form of behavior much beloved of
our Almighty Lord and compatible with believers' creation.
Cleanliness, a behavior regarded as most superior by Allah, also
bestows very great delight and ease on believers. Sincere
believers, who feel great determination and effort when it comes to
implementing Allah's commands at every moment of their lives, also
display the same punctiliousness with regard to cleanliness.
The Prophet's (saas) manner of dress
His companions handed down a great many details about the
Prophet's (saas) manner of dress. In addition to these, the
Prophet's (saas) advice to the believers about how they should
dress reveals the importance he attached to this subject. One hadith
reports him as saying:
The Prophet (saas) said: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.
Putting on beautiful clothes does not mean putting on pride. Pride
means denying the truth and looking down on other people." (Sahih
Muslim Hadith)
Hazrat Hasan (pbuh), the grandson of our Prophet (saas), said this
about his opinions on dress:
"Our Prophet (saas) used to instruct us to dress as well as we could
and to use the most fragrant perfumes we could find." (Bukhari,
et-Tarih'ul-Kebir, I, 382, no:1222)
Some of the information that was conveyed through the inner circle
of the Prophet (saas) about his clothing are below:
Ibnu Abbas (pbuh) relates:
"I saw the finest possible clothing on Rasulullah (saas)." (Abu
Davud., Libas 8, (4037); Kütüb-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary,
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 69)
Umm Salama (ra) reports that:
"The Holy Prophet (saas) liked the kurta (long shirt) most."
(Tirmidhi, Shamail- e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication, New Delhi,
1997, p.47)
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (ra) states:
"I have never seen someone with long hair and red clothing look
more handsome than Rasullullah (saas). His hair reached his
shoulders." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications,
New Delhi, 2000, p. 11)
Another report comes from Fazl ibn Abbas (ra):
"The Holy Prophet (saas) said: 'Adopt white clothes; it is the best
attire.'" ( Tirmidhi, Shamail-e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication,
New Delhi, 1997, p.55)
The Prophet's (saas) outdoor clothes
Ubayd bin Khaalid (ra) reports that:
"I was once going to Madina. I heard a person from behind me say:
'Wear your lungi (loose dress) higher because it avoids physical and
spiritual impurities.' (The lungi will remain cleaner and will not
become dirty because of being dragged on the ground.) When I turned
to see who was talking I saw that it was Rasulullah (saas)."
(Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications, New Delhi,
2000, p. 115)
The cleanliness of their bodies, clothes, homes and the food they
eat is as much a distinguishing feature of Muslims as the cleanliness
of their thoughts and hearts. Muslims' hair, hands, face, in short
their whole bodies, are always spotless. Their clothes are always
clean, smart and well-maintained. The places they live or work in
are always neat, clean, pleasant-smelling, airy and relaxing, as
befits Muslims. There is no doubt that the finest example of this is
our Prophet (saas), sent by our Lord as the last prophet for all
mankind. Allah addresses our prophet (saas) as follows in the
Qur'an:
"You who are enveloped in your cloak!
Arise and warn.
Magnify your Lord.
Purify your clothes.
Shun all filth." (Surat Al-Muddaththir, 1-5)
The Prophet's (saas) pleasing scent
The Prophet (saas) attached great importance to cleanliness. He
always smelled very fresh, clean and pleasant, and recommended that
Muslims do the same. Accounts that have reached us from his
companions give further details of this aspect of the Prophet (saas):
Jaabir bin Samura (ra) states:
"Whenever the Holy Prophet (saas) tread on any path, when someone
passed by later, that they could recognize that the prophet had
passed by there because they could smell the fragrance of his body."
(Fazlul Maulana, Al Hadis, Vol. 4, p. 340)
From Anas bin Malik (ra):
"I never felt a silk cloth, nor pure silk, nor any other thing
softer than the palm of Rasulullah (saas). Nor did I smell any musk
or any other fragrance, more sweet smelling than the fragrance of
Rasullullah (saas)." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service
Publications, New Delhi, 2000, p. 362)
In Qisas al-Anbiya, the Prophet (saas) was described in this way:
"His body was clean and his scent beautiful. Whether or not he had
used scent, his skin always had a lovely scent to it. If someone
shook hands or conversed with him, or showed his friendship or
affection, he would smell that clean scent all day, and if he laid
that sacred hand on a child's head, that child could be
distinguished from other children by that clean scent." (Ahmed Cevdet
Pasa, Qisas al-Anbiya, (Stories of the Prophets) Volume 4, Kanaat
Press, Istanbul 1331, pp. 364-365)
Our Prophet's (saas) Cleanliness Is a Model for All Muslims
Our Prophet (saas) frequently recommended cleanliness to believers.
By paying great attention to cleanliness himself, he represents
the finest model for believers. In one hadith the Prophet Muhammad
(saas) says:
"ALLAH IS PURE AND LIKES PURITY, HE IS CLEAN AND LIKES CLEANLINESS,
HE IS GENEROUS AND LIKES GENEROSITY, HE IS HOSPITABLE AND LOVES
HOSPITALITY, SO CLEAN YOUR COURTYARDS" (Tirmidhi)
Our Lord, whose knowledge pervades all things, has made our Prophet
(saas) a model for Muslims on the subjects of cleanliness and
spiritual purity, as in all other matters. Believers who spend their
whole lives in sincere devotion to Allah must turn to Allah in all
things and adopt the cleanliness, modern sense of dress and
grooming as models for themselves and make preparations for the
hereafter in the physical as well as the spiritual sense.
Cleanliness Is a Feature of the People of Paradise
Our Prophet (saas) reveals in the hadiths that cleanliness is one
feature of the people of paradise:
"Surely, Islam is pure, therefore be pure, because he can never
enter Paradise who is not pure." (Ahmad Diya'al-Din
al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol.1, 96/2)
Almighty Allah has also revealed in the Qur'an that filth is a
characteristic of polytheists (Surat at-Tawba, 28) and hypocrites
(Surat at-Tawba, 95). We must not forget that in order to be able
to enjoy the delight and excitement of living in paradise, a
spotless place full of enchantments, the soul must be trained and
earthly desires controlled in this world in such a way as to
delight in cleanliness and beauty in this world.
It is revealed that by our Almighty Lord's leave, believers will
enter paradise as spotless as they are in this world:
"And those who believe in their Lord will be driven to the Garden in
companies and when they arrive there, finding its gates open,its
custodians will say to them, 'Peace be upon you! You have done well
so enter it timelessly, for ever'." (Surat az-Zumar, 73)