Cleanliness- A Part of faith...

Islam is a religion of cleanliness. Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both physical and spiritual terms. Islam considers cleanliness to be one of the fundamental of faith. In the Holy Quran there are various  ayahs, related to the importance of cleanliness. "Truly,Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (Al Baqarah 2:222)  “In it (mosque) are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure.” (9:108) Through the Qur'an and Sunnah Islam requires the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life.

 There are also various hadiths on the importance of cleanliness. In one hadith it is said that:

• "Cleanliness is half of faith". (Sahih Muslim Book 2, Number 0432)
• "Had I not been afraid of overburdening my community, I would have ordered them to brush their teeth for every prayer." (Bukhari)
•  This Islamic Prayer has a uniqueness unlike the Prayer in other religions in that physical purification is a necessary condition. If Prayer is the key to Paradise then, likewise purification is the key to Prayer. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Allah does not accept Prayers without purification." [Note: Reported by Muslim and Ibn Majah on the authority of Ibn `Umar, also by Ibn Majah on the authority of Anas and Abi Bakrah and also Abu Dawud, Al-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah on the authority of the father of Abi Al Malih, Sahih Al- Jami' Al-Saghir, No.7746]  
• "Food is blessed when one washes his hands before and after it." (Tirmidhi) 
• A man came to the Prophet (peace be on him) wearing cheap-looking garments. "Do you have property?" the Prophet (peace be on him) asked him. "Yes," the man replied. "What kind of property?" asked the Prophet (peace be on him). "Allah has given me all kinds of wealth," he said. The Prophet (peace be on him) then said to him, "Since Allah has given you wealth, let Him see the effects of His favor and bounty upon you.'' (Reported by al-Nisai.)

Cleanliness is the pathway to health and strength. Islam aspires the health and strength of Muslims, preparing them to overcome different circumstances and as ammunition for the Muslim group. The strong believer is better and Allah loves him more than the weak believer. The Muslim is entrusted with his body thus, he must not neglect it until it becomes plagued with disease for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Your body has a right on you." [Note: Agreed upon on the authority of `Abdullah Ibn `Amr, Al-Lu `lu' Wal Marjan (No.715)] 
Muslims are duty bound to keep the nails clipped, to remove hair from the armpit and from the pubic area as a matter of routine practice.  Islam has directed attention in taking care of mouth by using any purifying agent like miswak, and brushing your teeth at least twice a day.Apart from body, Islam requires a Muslim to keep his clothes, houses and streets clean. Moreover, Islam instructed Muslims to maintain the cleanliness of the roads and streets. This is considered a charity to ridding the streets of impurities and filth.
Apart from physical cleanliness, Islam emphasizes on spiritual cleanliness. This means that one is free from polytheism, hypocrisy and ill manners, love of wealth, love of fame and other carnal desires. The emphasis in Islam is more on the cleanliness of the inner-self that is heart, mind and soul.  Islam requires the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life.The starting point of one's relationship with God is in the purification of thoughts and concepts. Unless the soul is completely purified, one cannot proceed with achieving closeness to God.Therefore, for the process of spiritual cleanliness to take place, the beginning must be physical. Hence when a person washes the face and limbs several times a day at different intervals, he or she is refreshed and kept clean.This continual ritual of washing performed on the physical being of a person will eventually penetrate to the soul and help him or her draw closer to the Creator. Through the institution of ablution one can quite easily see how Islam uniquely combines the need for personal hygiene with the spiritual needs of the soul.Cleanliness is the pathway to health and strength. Islam wants a healthy and strong Muslim society which is immune against infectious diseases and is capable of understanding and applying God's message and carrying it away to the whole world. The Holy Quran says: You are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing In Allah. (Surah Aal-Imran, 3/110)
Remember Allah loves those that purify themselves, so keep yourselves pure and clean.  Also remember to keep everything around you clean as well. So that you can live in a safer and cleaner environment, and so you can be loved by Allah. 
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