|
subject |
Rituals and Customs |
|
topic |
Personal cleanliness. |
|
grade |
Two |
|
time |
30 minutes |
|
objective |
To enable students to understand the importance of personal cleanliness to Muslims. |
|
instructional material |
Step-by-step illustrated guide to ablution. |
INTRODUCTION
Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and spiritual aspects. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community, and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad said, for example:
"Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded by Allah)."
While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute, Islam insists on it , making it an indispensible fundamental of the faith. A Muslim is required to to be pure morally and spiritually as well as physically. Through the Qur'an and Sunnah (the Prophet’s way of life) Islam requires the sincere Muslim to sanitize and purify his entire way of life. Note how the Qur'an commends those who are accustomed to cleanliness:
"Allah loves
those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure
and clean." [
In Islam the Arabic term for purity is Taharah. Books of Islamic jurisprudence often contain an entire chapter with Taharah as a heading. The Qur'an insists that Muslims maintain a constant state of purity; even to be tidy in appearance:
"Believers! When you prepare for prayer wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water) and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are ritually impure bathe your whole body." [5: 6]
Ritual impurity refers to that resulting from sexual intimacy, menstruation and the first forty days after childbirth. Muslims also use water, not paper or anything else to after eliminating body wastes. Prophet Muhammad )pbuh) advised the Muslims to appear neat and tidy in private and in public. Once when returning home from battle he advised his army:
"You are soon going to meet your brothers, so tidy your saddles and clothes. Be distinguished in the eyes of the people." [Abu Dawud]
On another occasion he said:
"Had I not been afraid of overburdening my community, I would have ordered them to brush their teeth for every prayer." [Bukhari]
Moral hygeine was not ignored, either, for the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged the muslims to make a special prayer upon seeing themselves in the mirror:
"Allah, You have endowed me with a good form; likewise bless me with an immaculate character and forbid my face from touching the Hellfire." [Ahmad]
And modesty in dress, for men as well as for women, assists one in maintaining purity of thought.
DEVELOPMENT
Show the students the guide to ablution. Then discuss other forms of cleanliness that everyone does, like washing hands befor eating, or taking a shower and dressing up before a party.
REINFORCING ACTIVITIES
Let students draw a step-by-step guide to an activity that requires some cleanliness (e.g. to take a shower = shampoo hair, rinse; put conditioner, rinse; make lather with loofah, soap body, rinse; etc.).