Now, as you know, here at MBCO we are all about the personal grooming; there really is something to be said for the age-old phrase, “look good, feel good”.
But it goes beyond just that – we’re not just focused on aesthetics, nor are we simply basing our attention to personal care on simply “feeling better” about ourselves.
MBCO was founded with the Prophet ﷺ himself in mind; we try to embody and emulate his teachings and beliefs every day. And, as you know, personal hygiene was a huge part of this.
As Muslims, we’re proud to take extreme care when it comes to various aspects of our being, and cleanliness is one of them. Where other religions have thrown caution to the wind and abandoned many aspects of personal care, with the view that it helps them to focus on a higher spiritual plain, we as Muslims know that ensuring we adhere to strong hygiene and cleanliness standards gives us the ability to dedicate ourselves fully to prayer.
So, with all this in mind, we thought we’d put together some of our favourite Hadiths about cleanliness, grooming and personal hygiene for you to think on throughout your day. Here goes!
Pearly Whites
Allah's Apostle I said, "I have told you repeatedly to use the Siwak.” Sahih Bukhari
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Siwak is a means of purification for the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord." Sunan an-Nasai
Allah's Apostle said, "If I had not found it hard for my followers or the people, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth with Siwak for every prayer." Sahih Bukhari
The short and short is this: the Prophet ﷺ himself didn’t want to force unnecessary stress onto his people, but it’s pretty clear that we should be cleaning our teeth properly and often!
The siwak or miswak as it’s known is a quick and satisfying way to give your pearly whites a quick clean, whether at home or on the go.
Facial Hair Care
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution and ran his fingers through his beard.” Sunan Ibn Majah
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Trim the mustache and let the beard grow." Sunan an-Nasai
The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a man who had dyed his hair with henna and said, “How handsome this is!” Sunan Ibn Majah
Ah, the beard. Let’s be honest, beards these days are somewhat of a fashion statement, but it doesn’t take long for it to go too far the other way…
Here are our top tips to honour the Prophet ﷺ with your bristles:
- Keep it clean. Wash it like you would your hair, as he did – no excuses, lads.
- Keep it tidy. I mean, grow the beard long – as you very well should – but keep that tash trimmed and in top nick.
- Keep it natural. There’s no shame in finding those first pesky greys – “Whoever has one hair that turns grey in Islam, it will be light for him on the Day of Resurrection.” (at-Tirmidhi).
Perfume
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The best of perfume is musk." Sunan an-Nasai
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The perfume for men is that whose scent is apparent while its color is hidden, and the perfume for women is that whose color is apparent, while its scent is hidden.'" Sunan an-Nasai
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Beloved to me in the world are women and perfume.” Sunan an-Nasai
Safe to say, the Prophet ﷺ was a fan of perfume. It doesn’t have to be strong, and certainly shouldn’t be overpowering, but the hint of fragrance just shows that you take pride and care in your person. It’s a subtle way to emphasise your presence and care taken in your hygiene, from the traditional musk and oud to more modern scents.
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Need to up your grooming game? We’re excited to announce that we’ve just launched our refills site, where you can purchase all of these essentials – whether as an addition to your Sunnah Box or on their own. We’ve kept the packaging on the refills simple, so as to keep your cost down – but rest assured, the quality and distinction of our product is as entirely high as ever.
We hope you enjoy, in shaa’Allah!
