NATURAL ACTS OF CLEANLINESS

All natural acts of cleanliness have been termed actions of "Fitrah", in other words, actions which is the natural acts of a human.

All Ambiya (Prophets) of Almighty Allah have commanded the people to follow these actions of cleanliness, which are :

The clipping of the moustache: It is Sunnah to trim the moustache & Makrooh to let it grow over the lips.

The keeping of the beard: It is Sunnah to keep a beard which must be one fist size in length. It is also Makrooh Tahreemi to shave off one's beard.

The use of Miswaak: It is Sunnah to use a Miswaak to clean one's mouth. There are many physical & spiritual benefits to be achieved by this.

Cleaning the nose: Since dirt is inhaled every minute, the nostrils gathers dirt. It is necessary to clean the nostrils thoroughly especially while making Wudu. One should pour water into the nostrils with the right hand & clean the inside of the nostril with the little finger & thumb of the left hand.

The trimming of the nails: It is Sunnah to clean & trim the nails. The nails should be trimmed every Friday. One should not bite one's nails. After trimming the nails, they should be buried & not thrown in a dirt bin because they are part of a Muslim's body & should be respected. The approved manner of trimming the nails is to start with the Shahaadat finger of the right hand then the remaining fingers excluding the right thumb. Thereafter, one should start with the small finger of the left hand till the Shahaadat finger & lastly trim the nail of the left thumb & then the right thumb.

The washing of the joints: Dirt gathers at the joints of the body. We should regularly clean areas such as the navel, the joints of the feet & hand & in between the toes & fingers.

The removal of hair under the armpits: One should remove all hair from under the armpits once a week. One should not delay the removal of hair for more than 40 days. The hair that is removed should be buried.

The removal of hair from below the navel: One should remove unwanted hair once a week. This also should not be delayed for more than 40 days.

The hair of the head: Females, young or old, are not allowed to cut their hair. Males are allowed to shave & trim their hair.

Istinja:

1. When entering the toilet, enter with the left foot.
2. When using the toilet, do not face the Qiblah.
3. When washing, use the left hand.
4. Leave the toilet in a clean state by flushing the pan.
5. Do not read or carry any item in the toilet bearing Almighty Allah's Name.
6. Do not relieve yourself in open public places.
7. Do not urinate while standing.
8. Do not speak in the toilet or spit in the pan.
9. When leaving the toilet, leave with the right foot.
10. Take extreme caution when using the high pan.