The Government of India has made cleanliness one of its top priorities. Slogans and captions encouraging citizens to maintain cleanliness feature prominently in the media and on billboards across towns and cities. A question that springs to mind is that why is cleanliness an issue in some nations though not in others? The answer lies in education. Physical cleanliness is connected with the state of mind and self-image which are shaped to a large extent by the right kind of education. Physical or bodily cleanliness on its own is meaningless. It should be a reflection of inner purity and by the same token it should lead to inner purity and piety.
Allah states in the Quran, “Surely Allah holds mohabbat for those who repent and holds mohabbat for those who are clean.” In this ayat, Allah has combined the purity of the body with the purity of the heart, for repentance is a way of purifying the self from sins. However, this purity is attained only by ´ilm: the rightful knowledge. Syedna al-Qadi al-Noman RA states that ´ilm is akin to water which not only is the source of survival, but is also a means for attaining cleanliness. Cleaning and cleansing is a perpetual task for dust and dirt accumulate in no time, and people need to be reminded and motivated constantly towards an ideal conduct. That is why the seeking of knowledge is a continuous and life-long endeavour.
For years, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA strived endlessly to cleanse Mumineen from all vices by conducting discourses and waaz majaalis. Today, following in his footsteps, his mansoos, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq, Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal SaifuddinTUS travels far and wide and works tirelessly, exhorting Mumineen to maintain cleanliness of the highest standard. Maula TUS lauded the determination of the government to make the country clean and urged Mumineen to join in the campaign. Mumineen have always, by the virtue of their imaani upbringing, upheld the highest standards of tahaarat (ritual purity). By continuously reminding Mumineen not to bear any grudges, not to drag a fellow Mumin to court and to relieve the mind and body from the constricting clutches of revenge and jealousy, Maula TUS makes sure that every Mumin attains and maintains both physical and spiritual cleanliness.
To cleanse is to remove the layer of filth and dirt that has covered an entity and thereby restore it to its original condition. Maintaining cleanliness is to ensure that the entity once cleaned remains free of filth and dirt. Restoring our souls to their original condition and their original abode is the ultimate objective of our Maula TUS in his efforts to clean and cleanse us. May Allah grant Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS a long and healthy life till the day of Qiyaamat.