Chapter III: Mysteries of Cleanliness
MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS
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The Holy Prophet said : Religion is founded on cleanliness.
He said : Cleanliness is the key to prayer. God said : Therein there are men who love purity and God loves the pure — 9:109. The Prophet said : Cleanlines is one half of belief. God said : God desires to make you clean and to complete His favours on you — 5:7.
Those who possess insight understand by these sayings that the most important thing is the purification of the heart. If the tradition 'cleanliness is one half of faith is limited only to the external cleanliness of physical organs by water and not alsorto the purification of the heart which may entertain evil designs and • thoughts, its meaning then will be distant and it is impossible.
PURITY HAS GOT FOUR STAGES
(1) The first stage is the purification of the external organs from excrements and filths. (2) The second stage is the purification of the bodily organs from sins and faults (3) The third stage is the purification of the heart from evil traits and evil vices. (4) The fourth stage is the purifications of the innerself from everything except God. This is the stage of the Prophets and the saints. Every item of cleanliness is half of action, because the object of the actions is the glorification and greatness of God. In realjty God's knowledge is not attained unless the heart is purified of all things other than God. For this reason, God said :
Say 'God' then leave them to play in the useless falks — 6:91.
There can be no two things in mind at the same time and God also has not created two minds in the same man. The object of the actions is to adorn the mind with praiseworthy qualities and religous firm faith. It is well known that the mind will not be adorned with those qualities till the blameworthy evils and false faith reign in it.
To purify the mind from these evils comprises half of its actions and the first half is pre-requisite for the second. In this sense, purity is said to be half of belief. So to purify the bodily limbs from the prohibited things is the first half and to strengthen it with religous acts is its second half. These are the stages of
Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 123
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