By
Dr. Ebrahim
Kazim
M.B;B.S;
DTM & H; M.R.C.P.
Director, Islamic Academy
Trinidad,
Allah loves those who
purify themselves (Q.9:108). He sent Prophet Muḥammadﺹ to
rehearse His signs, purify us and instruct us in scripture and wisdom and in
any new knowledge that would come to light from time to time in the future (Q.2:151). Islam lays significant
stress on cleanliness and purity of thought, word and deed, expressed as mental
(thoughts and intentions), physical (comprising the tongue and other organs
such as sexual), moral and spiritual (spiritual sustenance needed for
God-consciousness, piety, righteousness and tranquillity). According to a Ḥadīth: "Cleanliness
is half of faith." The primary meaning
of Zakā is: it thrived by God’s blessing and produced
fruit of seed, wealth and cattle. However, some translate Zakāh as purity
and others as a state of augmentation or
increase. “Cleanliness is next to
Godliness” appears in Q.2:222.
Tazkiyah (purification)
is classified under many headings, some of which are:
Tazkiyatul Māl: Purification of
wealth. Whenever we disburse our annual obligatory zakāh
of 2.5%, it purifies the remainder of our wealth. It also purifies the inner self by removing greed and selfishness,
and the person becomes God-conscious in his financial dealings. Giving voluntary alms as Ṣadaqah
also purifies the person as well as the balance of the wealth (Q.9:102-104). Whenever we repent for any wrong-doing of ours, we should
immediately look for avenues to get plus marks and do some good (Q.9:102) by giving some charity (Ṣadaqah).
This Ṣadaqah purifies the balance of wealth and also the self (Q.9:103).
Tazkiyatul- Akhlāq: Polishing of manners and
personal image, which includes cultivation of proper manner of eating, dressing,
appearance, walking and facial expressions. Allah has commanded us to obey
Prophet Muḥammadﺹ who is the role model of a perfect Muslim and to follow him in
our every action.
Tazkiyatul ‘Ayn: is for clarity
and purification of our eyes. It is
this instruction that is responsible for prohibition of pornography in all
Muslim societies. In Q.24:30-31 both men and women are advised to lower the gaze and guard their modesty. It is
also to be noted that the advice for men precedes
that for women.
Tazkiyatul udhun: Purification of ears. We must not hear evil such as foul
language, back biting about others, dirty jokes and vulgar songs.
Tazkiyatud Damm: Purification of
blood. Persons with kidney failure need dialysis to clean the blood of its
toxic products. Severe cases need a kidney transplant.
Tazkiyatul ‘udhuwwil Jinsiyyah: Purification of the sexual organs. Prophet Muḥammadﺹ said: “Whoever guarantees
me (the chastity of) what is between his loins (i.e. his or her own sexual
organs) and what is between his jaws (i.e. the tongue), I guarantee him
Tazkiyatul Īmān: or the Purification of
Faith. This begins with the first pillar of Islam which
is the Shahādah, supported by Surah Ikhlāṣ (Ch.112). To maintain the purity of our faith, we must live
the Shahādah throughout our lives and implement
it as well as all other six branches of Īmān.
During fasting, exercise, meditation and prayer, the brain secretes encephalins, endorphins, serotonin and many other neurotransmitters which are responsible for the well-being,
peace, contentment, satisfaction, optimism and tranquillity of the person. To
achieve inner peace necessitates prior peace with the Creator.
Tazkiyatus Sihhah: also called Ḥifāzah ‘alaṣ
ṣiḥḥah: Protecting health.
1.
Apart from childhood immunisation against Polio, Tetanus,
Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tuberculosis and others, we must also strive to
have a clean bill of health through a daily routine of half-hour exercise and
the unique spiritual cum physical activity of the 5-time ritual prayers.
2.
We must also abstain from the foods forbidden in Islam viz.
alcohol and other intoxicants; flesh of swine; carrion, blood products; and
blood transfusion unless absolutely necessary. (The
first four cases of AIDS in
3.
To monitor your health, it may also
be prudent to have occasional laboratory examination of CBC, ESR (Complete
Blood Count; Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate); FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar: 90-120 mgms.%); Lipid Profile: (Total Cholesterol: ideal at 130 mgms.%; High Density Lipo-proteins:
ideal over 40 mgms.%; LDL (low density lipo-proteins: ideal at 100 mgms.%);
Risk factor for heart attack or a stroke: ideal 3; PSA (Prostatic
Specific Antigen) , although not diagnostic: below 4; Ca 125 (for carcinoma
breast); CEA (for Ca Colon) and any other test the doctor may recommend.
4.
Health requirement also includes a clean environment.
(Tazkiyatul Bee‘ah): Cleaning the environment. Muslims should be
environmental friendly and keep it clean.
Tazkiyatun Nafs: Purity of the inner
self and personality. Every human being has some good and some evil in varying
proportions, which is exhibited as Nafs
meaning self or personality. Developing the personality is a difficult and
time-consuming long-term exercise. It does not have a quick-fix solution such
as reciting some extra prayers or supplicating a given number of times or
visiting a priest, a grave of a saint or any other form of escapism. It needs
constant effort and correction of mistakes, to be undertaken
as a serious spiritual project while persistently seeking Allah’s assistance
and pleasure. Such an effort may take months or years. During all this time, we
must examine ourselves and strive to pick and discard the undesirable traits
and improve on whatever good qualities we possess, while bearing God’s presence
and pleasure in mind. This is the only way we enhance our personality and gain
plus marks in our spiritual ledger for the Hereafter. The progress of human
self takes place through the development of divine attributes in the inner
self, leading towards perfection. Allah created good and evil both and designated
particular actions as virtuous or as evil. Then He left it to us to choose
freely and do whatever we wanted. A good act can enhance the personality while
an evil one would diminish our spiritual status. By not following in Satan’s
footsteps which so courteously escort us to indecencies and shame (Q.24:21), the person or self
(Nafs) gets purified (Q.91:7-10). Glorification of Allah’s name combined with prayer
aids in purification of the self and leads to prosperity (Q.87:14-15). Allah grants mercy, compassion and purification to
those of us who are not rebellious but kind to parents. He also showers peace
all the way in this life, then through death via Barzakh,
and finally into eternity of the Hereafter (Q.19:13-15). Disbursing the Zakāh
also purifies the self, besides purifying the balance of the wealth (Q.92:18). Wearing the Ihrām after
bathing during Hajj confers a state of ritual purity to the person. Whoever
purifies himself does so for his own benefit (Q.35:18) and for his own
spiritual advancement and prosperity (Q.87:14). But,
however much we try to sanctify ourselves, in the final analysis, it is Allah
Who purifies whom He pleases (Q.4:49).
Allah showers His mercy
on us after adversities have touched us (Q.10:21). Various ailments which we are afflicted with are not a calamity but
a mercy from Allah. Man develops immunity by suffering many infectious
diseases. We have developed antibodies to many viruses because we have suffered
from diseases caused by them. When we undergo hardships and misfortunes, the Nafs (person) gets purified. Illness for a believer is like a detergent
for the human Nafs. It purifies the Nafs from the burden of sins so that it can eventually
qualify to reflect Asmā al-Ḥusna:
the beautiful Attributes of Almighty
Allah in whatever little way possible.
Most people have a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction with
themselves and with their Creator when they are actively involved in relieving
the miseries of the poor and the under-privileged, be
it through distribution of money or any other form of Ṣadaqah
such as proper advice, guidance and assistance in any form or field whatsoever.
Righteous deeds such as giving charity and other Ṣadaqahs
meant to relieve distress from fellow-human beings confer peace and
tranquillity to the donor. This inner peace and purity of the donor is paralleled by peace with the Creator, possibly due to the
neural connections in the spiritual pathways of the brain, which secrete encephalins, endorphins, serotonin and other
neurotransmitters, responsible for the peace, tranquillity, well-being and
satisfaction. A continuous flow of encephalins and
endorphins in the body requires a continuous state of Taqwā
or God-consciousness in life. If such a state of inner peace and bilateral
satisfaction between man and Allah continues till the
time of death, then it fulfils the main objective in the Du‘a:
Wakhtim Biṣ Ṣāliḥāti A‘mālina.
“Oh Allah, seal with righteousness our
deeds”. It is postulated that this tranquil state
may accompany the person through Barzakh into the
Hereafter when he appears before his Mālik on
the Day of Judgment. The angels tell those whose lives they take in a state of
purity; “Salāmun ‘Alaikum! Enter Jannah, because of the good you did” (Q. 16:32).
The word “Jihad” is derived either from the Arabic word “Jahd”,
meaning exhaustion or the word “Juhd” which
means striving. A Mujāhid is one who
strives in the Cause of Allah and strives his best even to the point of
exhaustion. Jihād is an effort to establish a
world order where all human beings can live in peace and harmony. Man is
constantly fighting a duel in his mind, swinging like a pendulum between the
dual areas of good and evil. His striving to improve the self is called the inner jihād,
which aims at the ideal in achieving good and overcoming evil. The broader
meaning of Jihād may involve doing one’s very
best in Allah’s cause. It includes several things such as sacrifice of wealth
and talent, suppression of greed, carnal and other desires, fighting for
defence of religion and all current evil forces, assisting the oppressed
against the oppressor, etc. Those who die while engaged in Jihad are considered martyrs. Their bodies need
not be washed as they are considered to have died in ceremonial purity.
Tazkiyatur Rūḥ: Purification of Rūḥ or soul (as distinguished from Nafs meaning self or personality) represents the Breath which
came from Allah (Q.15:29; 38:72). God says that we have been given very meagre knowledge of it (Q.17:85). If Allah had not breathed into the mould of clay which He had fashioned, human beings would still have
been a body of clay without any life or soul. Rūḥ
is a component of the Unseen in the domain of Allah. The Rūḥ
remains pure inside a polluted human body except that it may get
laced with the person’s sins and wrong-doings.
Cleansing of the Rūh is by Allah only,
which begins on the Day of Resurrection. If we discard His advice in the
scriptures and take religion for a song, then Allah will not cleanse our soul
on the Day of Resurrection (Q.2:174; 3:77). However, some scholars believe that
a person's soul can be refined in this world by giving charity, our time, our
knowledge and our skill expecting to receive the grace of God.
From our eternal abode after we are resurrected, we would be able to review our past
critically, in this manner.