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Cleanliness & Beauty

Read published English translations and explanations on this topic. These are related source narrations; their wording and selection may differ from the Arabic site’s short selections. Every card identifies its own source.

Agreed uponAuthentic

Five are acts of Fitrah (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair

Narrator in the source: Abu Hurayrah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Five are acts of Fitrah (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair."
Grade in the source
Authentic
Reported by
Agreed upon
Original Arabic wording
عن أبِي هريرة رضي اللَّه عنه: سمعتُ النبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «الفِطْرَةُ خمسٌ: الخِتَانُ والاستحدادُ وقصُّ الشَّارِبِ وتقليمُ الأظفارِ وَنَتْفُ الآبَاطِ».
Understand this hadith

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned five acts that belong to the religion of Islam and the practices of the messengers. First: Circumcision: This is to cut the foreskin of the glans of the male organ and to cut the tip of a female's clitoris. Second: Shaving the pubes. This is to cut the pubic hair, which grows around the sex organs. Third: trimming the mustache. This is to trim the hair that grows on a man's upper lip in a way that makes the lip visible. Fourth: Clipping the nails. Fifth: Plucking the armpit hair.

Lessons from the hadith
  • The messengers' practices that Allah likes, is pleased with, and enjoins lead to perfection, purity, and beauty.
  • The legitimacy of observing these acts and not overlooking them.
  • These acts serve religious and worldly benefits, such as: improving appearance, cleaning the body, being heedful about purification, differing from the disbelievers, and complying with the commands of Allah.
  • Other Hadīths mention more acts of the Fitrah other than these five, like letting the beard grow and using the tooth-stick.
References (original Arabic)

صحيح البخاري (7/ 160) (5891). صحيح مسلم (1/ 222) (257). عمدة الأحكام (ص44) (30). الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (1/ 45). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، للبسام (ص58). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (1/ 72).

Narrated by MuslimAuthentic hadith

Anyone has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise

Narrator in the source: ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd reported that the Messenger of Allah

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Anyone has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise." A man said:" What if one likes his clothes and shoes to look good?" He said: "Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance is to reject the truth and look down on people."
Grade in the source
Authentic hadith
Reported by
Narrated by Muslim
Original Arabic wording
عن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه عن النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قَالَ: «لا يدخلُ الجنةَ مَن كان في قلبه مِثقال ذرةٍ من كِبر» فقال رجل: إنّ الرجلَ يحب أن يكون ثوبه حسنا، ونَعله حسنة؟ قال: «إنّ الله جميلٌ يحب الجمالَ، الكِبر: بَطَرُ الحق وغَمْطُ الناس».
Understand this hadith

Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Anyone has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise." This Hadīth conveys a stern warning, which requires a detailed explanation based on Shariah evidence. If one's arrogance involves rejection of the truth and hatred towards it, this one is a disbeliever who will abide eternally in Hellfire and will never enter Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, said: {That is because they disliked what Allah revealed, so He rendered worthless their deeds} [Sūrat Muhammad: 9]. If one's arrogance is about behaving haughtily and proudly towards people but does not prevent him from worshiping Allah, he will be subject to the warning mentioned in the Hadīth and thus will not enter Paradise with the first batch admitting it without being punished beforehand. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this Hadīth, a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, what if one likes his clothes and shoes to look good, would this be an act of arrogance?" So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty", meaning that He is beautiful in His essence, actions, and attributes. Everything comes from Allah, the Almighty, is beautiful and not ugly in the least. "He loves beauty", means that He loves man to look beautiful in his clothes, shoes, body, and all his affairs. That is because beautification attracts people to the person and makes them love him; unlike ugliness in one's hair or clothes.

References (original Arabic)

بهجة شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي. تطريز رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف فيصل آل مبارك، تحقيق د. عبدالعزيز آل حمد، دار العاصمة-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1423هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين؛ للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. شرح أسماء الله الحسنى في ضوء الكتاب والسنة؛ تأليف د. سعيد القحطاني. الناشر: مطبعة سفير - الرياض. شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن-الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبدالباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. فتح الباري بشرح صحيح البخاري؛ للحافظ أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، دار المعرفة-بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ.

An-Nasaa’i - Narrated by Abu DaoudAuthentic hadith

Verily, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is characterized by modesty and concealment, and He loves modesty and concealment. Therefore, when any of you bathes, let him conceal himself

Narrator in the source: يعلى بن أمية

Ya‘la ibn Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man bathing in an open area without a lower garment. So he mounted the pulpit, praised and extolled Allah, and said: "Verily, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is characterized by modesty and concealment, and He loves modesty and concealment. Therefore, when any of you bathes, let him conceal himself."
Grade in the source
Authentic hadith
Reported by
An-Nasaa’i - Narrated by Abu Daoud
Original Arabic wording
عن يعلى بن أمية رضي الله عنه أنَّ رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى رجلًا يغتسل ُبالبَراز بلا إزار، فصعِد المِنْبر، فحَمِد اللهَ وأثنى عليه، ثم قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إنَّ اللهَ عزَّ وجلَّ حَيِيٌّ سَتِيرٌ، يحب الحياءَ والسَّتر؛ فإذا اغتسل أحدُكم فليستتر».
Understand this hadith

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man bathing in a wide open area while being naked. Thus, he ascended the pulpit, praised Allah and extolled Him, then he said: "Verily, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is characterized by modesty and concealment, and He loves modesty and concealment. Therefore, when any of you bathes, let him conceal himself." Among the beautiful names of Allah, the Almighty, are Al-Hayiyy (the Shy and Modest One) and As-Sittīr (the Concealer), and He loves modesty and concealment. Hence, the Muslim should not expose his private parts in front of people when he is bathing, rather, it is obligatory for him to cover himself. Allah, the Almighty, is described as Modest in a manner that befits Him, not like the modesty of creatures, which is basically a change and embarrassment that overcome one when fearing blame or dispraise. Rather, the modesty of Allah is leaving whatever does not befit the vastness of His mercy, the perfection of His generosity and munificence, and the greatness of His forbearance and pardon.

References (original Arabic)

سنن أبي داود، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، نشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا – بيروت. السنن الصغرى للنسائي "المجتبى"، تحقيق: عبد الفتاح أبو غدة، نشر: مكتب المطبوعات الإسلامية – حلب، الطبعة: الثانية، 1406ه – 1986م. مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي بن سلطان الملا الهروي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002م. إرواء الغليل في تخريج أحاديث منار السبيل، للألباني، نشر: المكتب الإسلامي – بيروت، الطبعة: الثانية 1405هـ - 1985م. معجم اللغة العربية المعاصرة، للدكتور أحمد مختار عبد الحميد عمر بمساعدة فريق عمل، الناشر: عالم الكتب، الطبعة: الأولى، 1429 هـ - 2008 م. صفات الله عز وجل الواردة في الكتاب والسنة : علوي بن عبد القادر السَّقَّاف دار الهجرة الطبعة : الثالثة ، 1426 هـ - 2006 م.

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