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

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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)

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