By Shaykh Anisul Haque
13 September 2024

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During this week’s khutbah, I spoke about a topic that’s often overlooked but is central to our faith: cleanliness and purity. I reflected on how this concept extends from our personal hygiene to the cleanliness of our hearts, and even to caring for our environment and the world we inhabit.

Let’s start with something we all see around us – our neighbourhoods and streets. I’ve noticed that the streets aren’t always as clean as they should be in some areas. We see overflowing bins and litter on the pavements, and it’s easy to think, “Well, that’s the local council’s job to clean up.” But here’s the thing – Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us that keeping our surroundings clean is part of our faith.

Countless narrations from the Prophet ﷺ encourage believers to take responsibility for their community. In one famous hadith, the Prophet ﷺ told of a man who came across a thorn in the road and removed it so it would not harm anyone, and for that reason he received the forgiveness of Allah. Imagine that – such a small act of removing something harmful from the path can lead to Allah’s forgiveness from Allah! It really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

I reminded the congregation of another hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said,

Removing anything harmful from the road is a form of charity.

This got me thinking – how many times have we walked past litter on the street and thought, “Someone else will pick that up”? But if we all took responsibility for our areas, imagine how much cleaner and more pleasant our neighbourhoods would be.

Now, let’s talk about something closer to home – the use of water. I pointed out how excessive use of water isn’t just wasteful, it’s actually harmful to the environment. It contributes to pollution and climate change, and it even disrupts ecosystems. And you know what? This isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a religious one, too.

The Prophet ﷺ was so careful with water that he used only about 775 ml to perform wudu. That’s less than a small bottle of water! There’s even a story where he saw his companion, Sa‘d. doing wudu and said to him, “What is this excessiveness, O Sa‘d?” When Sa‘d asked if there could be excessiveness in wudu, the Prophet ﷺ replied, “Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river.”

This made me reflect on how we use water, especially when doing wudu at the mosque. We’ve all seen those puddles around the wudu area, haven’t we? That’s all wasted water, and it makes the floor slippery and dangerous too. If we all followed the Prophet’s ﷺ example, we’d save water and keep our mosques cleaner and safer.

But cleanliness in Islam isn’t just about our surroundings or saving water. It’s also about keeping our hearts clean. In the khutbah, I mentioned a beautiful hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said,

Indeed, there is a piece of flesh in the body. If it becomes good, the whole body becomes good, but if it becomes corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. That piece of flesh is the heart.

This hadith always strikes a chord with me. How often do we focus on keeping our bodies clean but forget about our hearts? The Prophet ⁠ﷺ taught us that a clean heart is one that’s free from things like jealousy, pride, and hatred. It’s about having sincere intentions and loving others for the sake of Allah.

There was another hadith I shared that I find particularly enlightening. Some companions asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Who are the best of people?” He ﷺ replied, “One with a heart swept clean and truthful in speech.” When they asked what a ‘heart swept clean’ meant, he explained ﷺ it’s one that is “God-fearing and pure, in which there is neither sin, nor transgression, nor envy.”

This always makes me reflect on my own heart. How often do I check my intentions? Do I harbour negative feelings towards others? It’s not easy to keep our hearts clean in today’s world, with all its pressures and distractions, but it’s so important.

I also reminded the congregation about the importance of our appearance, especially when we’re going to pray. I quoted a verse from the Qur’an where Allah says:

O children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of prayer. Eat and drink, but not to excess. Verily, He does not love those who commit excess.

[Qur’an 7:31]

This isn’t about showing off; it’s about respecting the act of worship and presenting ourselves well before Allah. 

But here’s the thing – while our outward appearance matters, what’s inside is even more important. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah does not look at your appearance or your possessions; but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” This balance between inner and outer cleanliness is something we should all strive for.

As I concluded the khutbah, I conveyed to the congregation that we are not just individuals going about our lives; we’re part of a community and stewards of this Earth. The Prophet ﷺ reminded us of this when he said,

The world is sweet and green, and verily, Allah is making you succeed each other, generations after generations in it, in order to see how you act.

So, what can we do? Well, I suggested starting small. We can be more mindful of how we use water, especially during wudu. We can make an effort to pick up litter when we see it, even if it’s just one piece a day. And we can try to be more aware of the state of our hearts, by checking our intentions and working on removing any negative feelings we may harbour.

It’s not always easy to maintain this level of cleanliness – of our surroundings, our bodies, and our hearts. But as Muslims, it’s part of our duty. Allah says in the Qur’an, praising the people of Quba, that there are “men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves." [9:108]

Let’s strive to be among those people. Let’s take care of our environment, be mindful of our resources, keep ourselves clean, and, most importantly, purify our hearts. It’s a journey, and we might not always get it right, but every small step counts. After all, cleanliness is not just next to godliness – in Islam, it’s an essential part of our faith.

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