Physical Purity
- By Dr. Waffie Mohammed
- Published 06/20/2012
Dr. Waffie Mohammed
The first Trinidad national to have earned a doctorate in the study of Islam, Dr. Waffie graduated from the University of Karachi with a PhD in Islamic Studies, obtained in parallel with Al-Kamil certification from the Aleemiya Institute established by Dr. Fazlu R. Ansari.
On his return to Trinidad, Dr. Waffie contributed to the development of the Muslim communities located throughout the country and the region, while at the same time serving the wider national communities. This led to his appointment to the Senate in 1981, and his later appointment as Director of the Muslim World League regional office for the Caribbean and Latin America, a position in which he contributed to global Muslim development, until his retirement in 2003.
Dr. Waffie is currently serving as the Principal and Director at the Markaz al Ihsaan Institute of Islamic Theology. He also serves as a spiritual leader of the local chapters of the Qadri and Nakshbandi Orders within Islamic Spirituality Circles.
The author of numerous books, articles and publications dedicated to Islam and contemporary social issues, Dr. Waffie also has a growing number of pioneering works in contemporary Islamic studies. Dr. Waffie blogs often at http://drwaffie.blogspot.com
The goal of the Mir’aj was to meet Allah . But you cannot meet Allah if you are unclean. Allah says;
Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves. (2:222)
This is the first important lesson for us. Purity is a comprehensive term because it deals with the body, mind and soul. But today let us just look at the physical aspect of it.
If you have to consciously make an effort to meet your Lord you first have to observe physical cleanliness. Because it is such an important ingredient to meet Allah , Allah says of the unbelievers;
O you who believe! Verily, the Mushrikun are najasun (impure) so let them not come near Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah). (9:28)
The next important point is Salaat. In the institution of Salaat we are actually standing in front of our Lord. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said“worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you”. And he is also reported to a have said ‘salaat is the Mir’aj of a believer’. Why is this so? In salaat we are standing in front of our Lord and conversing with Him.
And the prerequisite of salaat is physical cleanliness. Once cannot perform the salaat if wudu and or ghusl have not been observed.
We need to keep in mind that if one wants to feel the presence of Allah you have to first be physically clean. Not only when it comes to salaat, but even if you want to enter His House or read His Glorious Book.
Also we don’t know when the angel of Death will visit us so it’s prudent that we observe physical cleanliness so that whenever he comes we would be in a fit state to return to our Lord. Part of spirituality is to observe cleanliness and the Mir’aj confirmed this. If you are not pure and clean it would be improbable to meet Allah .
Make this Mir’aj that point where you try to attain cleanliness for your entire personality and start off with the physical aspect of it. May Allah make it easy for us and take care of our affairs.