A Letter to a Dear One — Page 31
Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 31 on them, then according to the Divine attribute of forgiveness and absorption of sins, man can achieve complete purity and can thus be a manifestation of Allah’s Holiness. The Holy Prophet ( ” allall ā hu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said that one who truly repents from all sin is like one who has never committed a sin. What glad tidings, what a positive message for humanity, that fills hearts with hope and courage—as opposed to the school of thought that even if man does not commit a sin himself, in retribution of Adam’s sin or sins of his earlier incarnations, he will be entangled in evil. Purity includes both apparent and hidden purity. Some people assume that as purity has a connection with the heart, therefore, apparent purity is not important. Islam does not conform to this notion. Islam teaches us that body and soul have a deep connection and the soul’s condition affects the body, as indeed does the body’s condition affect the soul. It would be appropriate to explain this proposition at another time; however, it is important to state here that physical and apparent cleanliness is essential to have spiritual purity. That is to say, personal hygiene and clean environs is important. Allah is Holy and Pure; therefore, for one who wishes to obtain His nearness, it is important to keep his heart clean—to keep his body, mind, attire and environment pure and clean, so that this cleanliness affects his heart and soul and he is not a source of trouble for humanity. This is the reason why the Holy Prophet ( ” allall ā hu ‘alaihi wa sallam) admonished about personal hygiene (bathing, brushing teeth), clean clothes and use of perfume. Allah is the Lord of all the worlds. Man should try and inculcate the attribute to create and foster in him and not to keep the scope of this attribute contracted. On the contrary, as Allah’s attribute to create and foster is extensive and available to all and encompasses all universe, man’s practice of creating and fostering should also be extensive and for all. Just as Allah’s treatment towards man is according to his ingenuity, man’s capacity to create and foster will be in accordance to the ingenuity of those who will benefit from it. Wealth is not essential for such deeds; each person can carry out such deeds according to his/ her capacity. Allah is Gracious. Man should try and inculcate graciousness in him. A good deed does not have to be only in return of a good deed. On the contrary, goodwill should be spread spontaneously and without any