Khutbah: Importance of Islaam on Having a Clean Heart and Body

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Delivered by Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin bin Muhammad al-Qaasim [May Allaah Preserve him] in Masjid an-Nabawee, Madeenah al-Nabawiyyah
26/2/1433

Verily, Allah Praise is due to Allaah, I Praise Him and I seek His Assistance and His Forgiveness. I seek refuge in him from the evils of ourselves and from the evil of our actions. Whoever Allaah guides none can lead astray, whoever Allaah allows to be lead astray none can guide.

I bear witness that there is no God except Allaah Alone without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

May the Peace of Allaah be upon him, his Family and his Companions and Blessings be upon them in abundance.

To Proceed:

Fear Allaah Oh Slaves of Allaah! Fear Him as he should be feared, fearing him will cause your insides to be honoured and your outwardly appearance to be beautified.

Oh Muslims:

The religion of Islaam is beautiful and complete and it commands us to be purified in our hearts and our bodies.

“Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful”

[Maaidah 5:6]

It orders us to be purified in our bodies from Shirk and other impurities;

“And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim (Abraham) the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Islamic Monotheism], and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah), and make prostration (in prayer, etc.);"

[Hajj 22:26]

Allaah gave the Messengers the attributes of having purity in their hearts, so He said about Ibraahim [Peace be Upon him];

“When he came to his Lord with a pure heart [attached to Allah Alone and none else, worshipping none but Allah Alone true Islamic Monotheism, pure from the filth of polytheism].”

[Saafaat 37: 84]

And He Protected Muhammad [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] when he was a child by giving him medicine in his heart. Anas [May Allaah be Pleased with him] narrated that, “Jibreel came to the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] whilst he was playing with children and he took him aside and split his chest open. He took out his heart and said, ‘Shaytan has been warded off from you’ then he washed it with Zam Zam water and bandaged it up and placed it back in its place.” [Narrated by Muslim]

When Allaah ordered the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] to go and give the message of Islaam, He mentioned his heart as being protected and purified, as He said:

“And your garments purify!”

[Mudatthir 74:4]

Sa’eed bin Jubayr [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said about this that it means, “Your heart and your intentions are pure.” Furthermore, this also used to be the supplication of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] as he would say,

اللهم نقِّني من الخطايا كما يُنقَّى الثوبُ الأبيضُ من الدَّنَس، اللهم اغسِل خطايايَ بالماء والثلجِ والبَرَد

“Oh Allaah! Remove mistakes from me like dirt is removed from white clothes. Oh Allaah! Wash off my mistakes in the same manner like water and ice purifies.” [Agree Upon]

When Allaah intended to exalted him [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] and raise his status on the night of Israa’ wal Mi’raaj, his heart was cleaned for a second time, therefore he only met Allaah, the Glorified, only in a state where his heart was pure and clean. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “Jibreel came down to me and opened my chest, then he cleaned my heart with Zam Zam water which was in golden vessels, he then washed my heart and sealed my chest and then took my with his hand and we then rose to the heavens.” [Agree Upon]

The people of Qubaa’ in Madeenah were praised for their level of Taqwa and their keenness to uphold purity. As Allaah, The Glorified, said:

“Never stand you therein. Verily, the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety is more worthy that you stand therein (to pray). In it are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure (i.e. who clean their private parts with dust [i.e. to be considered as soap) and water from urine and stools, after answering the call of nature].”

[Tawbah 9:108]

Purity has been made a part of Eeman so whoever purifies himself, Allaah will love him

“Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers, etc.).”

[Baqarah 2:222]

The keys for Salaah is purity and none can enter the state of Salaah except if he is pure.

He, the Glorified, has also made a cause for one to enter Jannah if he is pure and rightoues, as none can enter Jannah unless he is pure and righteous. Allah, the Most High, says:

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein."

[Zumar 39:73]

So whoever is purified in the Dunya then he will meet Allaah pure and he will enter Jannah. Whoever has not purified himself in the Dunya, and he remains in this state of impurity such as having Kufr, then he will not enter Jannah because of this. If he has impurities, then he will be under the Will of Allaah, it may be that He Will Punish and this will be a means of purification for him, then he will exit Jahannam and enter Jannah having been purified.

Therefore, being pure in one’s heart is a condition for entering Jannah, Allaah, The Glorified, says:

“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail. Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)].”

[Shu’araa 26: 88-89]

Ibn al-Qayyim [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said, “It is not possible for a heart that ar-Rahmaan has purified be next to a heart that is filthy with the following of desires and showing off, this would never happen.”

The inner-side of one self is an adornment just like one adorns his physical outwardly appearance. It is from the supplications of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] to say;

اللهم زيِّنَّا بزينةِ الإيمان

“Oh Allaah! Adorn me with the adornment of Eeman.” [Narrated by an-Nasaai]

So the hearts are like bodies, some of them are good and pure whilst others are corrupt and evil. Some of them are alive whilst others are dead. So if your heart is purified then it will be filled with mercy and goodness, so Islaam gives importance for the rectification of the heart and it prohibits all the paths that lead to it being corrupted. From the major forms of rectification is for one to have Tawheed and sincerity in his action, making them for Allaah Alone. That which corrupts the heart and kills is making Shirk with Allaah, Allaah, The Glorified and The Exalted, says:

“Verily, the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and in the Message of Muhammad) are Najasun (impure)…”

[Tawbah 9:28]

And He warned us from disgrace and punishment;

“Those are the ones whose hearts Allah does not want to purify (from disbelief and hypocrisy); for them there is a disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great torment.”

[Maaidah 5:41]

He described the hypocrites when he said;

“They will swear by Allah to you (Muslims) when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are Rijsun [i.e. Najasun (impure) because of their evil deeds], and Hell is their dwelling place, - a recompense for that which they used to earn.”

[Tawbah 9:95]

Ibn Katheer [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said about this Ayah, “Meaning, they are filthy and impure in their inner-selves and outer-selves.”

Spite and envy has diseased their hearts, so if ones heart is not made right then the heart will become overcome with corruptness and oppression, as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “Do not hate one another, do not envy on another and do not dispute with one another, be brothers Oh Slaves of Allah!”

And a man came in the presence of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] and he told his Companions, “This man is from the People of Jannah.” So when he was asked why, the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] told them, “He doesn’t hold any grudge against the Muslims, he doesn’t have envy with anyone with what Allaah has given to them.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

And from the supplication of the believers is;

“And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.”

[Hashr 59:10]

Ibn al-Qayyim [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said, “I have not seen anyone who has combined all the forms of and has practiced mercy and pardoning, peace in his heart than Ibn Taymiyyah.”

The heart that is strong is a happy and clear one, it is quick to have an effect, it doesn’t sin much and thus not effected by sins. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “If a person makes a mistake then a black dot appears on his heart, if he asks for forgiveness then the heart becomes purified but if he carries on sinning without asking for forgiveness then it will take over his heart completely, and this is called Raan, that which Allaah mentioned;

“Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn”

[Muttafifeen :14]”

[Narrated by at-Tirmidhee]

So it is obligatory upon the slave to wash his heart every day and night, and from these purifies of the heart are the obligatory prayers. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “If you see a river outside the house of a person and he bathes in it five times a day, do you think there will be any dirt left on him?” The Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them] replied, “No dirt will remain on him.” The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] then stated, “This is the example of the five daily prayers, Allaah removes by it the sins of a person.” [Agreed Upon]

So whoever prays after purifying himself, then this will be a cause for him to enter Jannah, as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “There is no Muslim who does Wudhoo well, then he stands and prays two Rak’aat, facing his heart and face to Him, except Jannah becomes obligatory upon him.” [Agreed Upon]

Wudhoo is the medicine for your heart and your limbs, as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “If the slave, the Muslim makes Wudhoo by washing his face then the sins of his face are removed with that water, the sins that his eyes have committed are removed with that water. When he washes his hands the sins his hands are removed with that water, when he washes his feet all his sins are removes with that water, until he leaves his house pure from any sins.” [Agreed Upon]

From the things that are connected to purification are the words of Tawheed, when he says them the eight doors of Jannah are opened for him. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “There is none of you except if he performs Wudhoo and then says;

أشهدُ أن لا إله إلا الله، وأشهدُ أن محمدًا عبدُه ورسولُه

I bear witness that there is no God except Allaah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

Except the eight doors of the Jannah will be opened for him and he may enter from any of the doors he wishes.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

The Zakaat that we pay is also a means of our hearts being purified, Allaah, the Glorified, says:

“Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”

[Tawbah 9:103]

The Words of the Lord of the Aalameen is a cure for the hearts and bodies, as He, The Glorified and The Exalted, says;

“And We send down from the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss.”

[Israa’ 17:82]

Sticking the group and the Jama’aah of the Muslims and being sincere to them is also a factor that rectifies and purifies your heart. As the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “There are three that can’t be taken out the heart of a Muslim; sincerity in doing deeds for Allaah, being sincere and advising the rulers of the Muslims and sticking to the Jama’aah.” [Narrated by at-Tirmidhee]

The Hijaab is also a means of purity and chastity, He, The Glorified and The Exalted, says;

“And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.”

[Ahzaab 33:53]

Sitting with the righteous and protecting ones tongue can also purify the heart. Being far from trials and tribulations and the different types of Fitnah is also a means of having the heart purified. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “Fitnah turns the heart away like the way a straw mat is made, thread by thread. So if a heart tastes the Fitnah then it will have a black spot placed on it. If a heart is freed from it or denies it then there is a white spot placed on it.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Inner purification perfects the outer purification. So Islaam gives importance to purification of the bodies of the humans from the cradle to the grave, so if a baby is born then it is circumcised and its hair is shaved and when he dies he has his body washed and scented before he is buried. 

The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] used to love perfume and the white lines musk would be visible on the middle parting of his hair. He would brush his teeth with Siwaak whilst doing Wudhoo, before praying, when entering the home and when waking up from sleep.

He also ordered us to trim our moustaches and stated this was from the natural disposition of a human or ‘Fitrah’. Also from the Fitrah is to grow the beard, use Siwaak, rinse your nose and mouth with water, cut your nails, to use stones when cleaning your private parts, pluck your armpit hairs, shave your pubic hairs and use water when cleaning yourself after defecation or urination, and to be circumcised. The time for us to trim and cut the relevant hair and nails is that it should not exceed forty days and nights.

And He [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] ordered all the Muslims to at least have one bath (or shower) a week, as he said, “The right of every Muslim is to have a bath (or shower) once within every seven days, in which he washes his head and body.” [Agree Upon]

When the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would sneeze he would place his hand over his mouth with a cloth and he would try to make as little as noise as possible. [Narrated by Aboo Dawood]

He also ordered for our pavements and roads to be free from any harm to the Muslims, as he [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “The deeds of my Ummah were presented to me, the good and the bad, and I found from the good deeds was for the Muslims to remove harm from the roads…” [Narrated by Muslim]

He also explained to us on how to clean ourselves in the bathroom, he prohibited us from using too many stones (or too much toilet paper), to clean our private parts with the right hand, to use food or bones to clean ourselves with and not to use more than three stones when wiping (or using three sheets or sides of toilet paper).

He also prohibited us from anything that would lead to a decrease in our integrity. So he forbade us from breathing into our drinking vessel, or blowing (and sniffing) our food and if he we eat or drink and not to put our mouth to the vessel (or put our lips to the bottle) when drinking as this leads to it becoming foul and putrid.

When one wakes up from sleeping, he should not place his hands into water or a vessel until he washes his hands three times. If a dog drinks of eats from your vessel to wash it seven times, once being with earth. He also made the time period for us to wipe over our socks, one day and one night and three days and nights for the traveller, this time period has been set so that the Muslim doesn’t neglect washing his feet, as washing the feet cleans it and it free it from the fire, “Protect your heels from the hellfire.” [Agreed Upon]

He also warned us from having a smell which may offend others, he [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “If one eats garlic or onions then he should change it and he should not come to our Masjid, rather he should sit at home.” [Agree Upon]

The impurity of alcohol and that which intoxicates the mind has also been warned against, as we have been told that the one who does this act of impurity won’t have his prayers accepted for forty days. 

The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] also commanded us to keep the Masaajid clean, there used to be an old black lady who would clean the Masjid and he made it an objective to pray over her even after she had been buried [Narrated by Aboo Dawood]

This all explains that the heart being pure is directly connected to your actions being pure, both effecting each other, so we have been prohibited from wearing silk or the leather of wild animals and from letting our clothes dangle below our ankles, because of the effect it would have on our hearts, on our behaviour, on our worship and the tranquillity we have.

After this, Oh Muslims!

The religion of Islaam is complete, there is nothing more complete and there is nothing greater than it. There is nothing that is more purifying for the slave except it. The one who is happy is the one whose heart is clean, his actions and statements are free from that which Angers his Lord, he only uses them with what He Loves and is Pleased with and he thanks Him for all the Favours He has Blessed upon him.

I seek refuge in Allaah from the accursed Shaytan.

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth)”

[‘Araaf 7:26]

May Allaah Bless me and you with the Majestic Quraan; benefit me and you from what it contains from the Ayaat and the Dhikr al-Hakeem. What you have heard is what I have to say, I seek forgiveness in Allaah for myself and for you all and all the Muslim from all sins, so seek his forgiveness, verily He is al-Ghafoor ar-Raheem.