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Characteristics of the Fitrah
By Ash-Shaikh Salih Al-Fawzan (حفظه اللّه)
And from the great virtues that our straight (correct) religion has come with are the characteristics of the fitrah which have been mentioned in the hadeeth, which has been authentically reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah y that he said: the messenger of Allah r said: “There are five things from the fitrah: using metal (blade for removing the pubic hair), circumcision, trimming the mustache, plucking the armpit hair, and cutting the nails”, and has been called the characteristics of the fitrah because the one who performs them is characterized with the fitrah that Allah has established upon his servants, incited them toward and made it a beloved act for them so that they may be have the most complete and noble attributes, have the most beautiful appearance and best disposition. It is a very old way (sunnah) which the prophets chose and the different legislations agreed upon. These characteristics are:
1. Istihdad (use or metal): This is shaving the pubic hair, which is the growing hair around the private region. It has been called “istihdad” for its use of metal, which is a razor, and in its removal is beautification and cleanliness. It is removed with what is desired from shaving to other than that.
2. Circumcision: It is the removal of the skin which covers the glans (tip of the male organ) so that it is apparent. This is to take place at a young age as this time has a faster recovery and so the young boy is raised upon the best condition. From the wisdom of circumcision is cleanliness of the male organ from filth which is caught in the foreskin and there many other benefits.
3. Cutting and trimming the mustache: This is exaggeration in shortening it from what is in it from beautification, cleanliness, and differing from the disbelievers. Several hadeeth have mentioned encouragement of cutting and trimming the mustache and sparing the beard, leaving it to grow, and taking care of it from what is in leaving the beard from beauty and a masculine appearance. Many people have opposed this order and begun to spare their mustaches and shave their beards, cut them, or shape them into a thin bar going to far in opposing the prophetic guidance, blindly following the enemies of Allah and His messenger, and descending from signs of masculinity and chivalry to signs of the women and lowliness until the statement of the poet is proven by them:Man is taken to task in his days of tribulation until he sees good what is not good.And the statement of another:It is not weird that the women become masculine but that men’s femininity is weird.
4. Also from the characteristics of the fitrah: Clipping the nails, which is cutting them, so that they are not left to grow for what is in that from beautification, removing the filth which accumulates under them, and remaining far from imitating wild beasts. A group of wild young men and women and opposed this prophetic fitrah and have begun growing their fingernails long in opposition to the prophetic guidance and going too far blind following the blind.
5. And from the characteristics of the fitrah: Plucking the arm-pit hair, which is the removal of the growing hair under the arm, consequently it is a sunnah to remove this hair by plucking, shaving, or other than that; for what is in this removal of hair from cleanliness and cutting the foul odor which is increased with it’s presence.
O Muslim! Like this are religion has come, with the legislation of these characteristics; for what is in them from beautification, cleanliness, and purification, so the Muslim may be upon the best condition and most beautiful appearance, opposing with it the way of the polytheist, and for what is in them from distinguishing the men from the women, so that everyone’s appropriate personality for their position in this life will remain steadfast. But many from the deceived and fooled refuse, those whom oppress themselves, so they refuse except for the opposition of the messenger r, and import the blind following which is not appropriate with our religion nor our Islamic personality. They take from the lowliness of the west and the east as an example for their personalities. Consequently they wish to exchange that which is inferior with that which is good, rather they wish to exchange evil with good, and completeness with insufficiency. Thusly they wrong themselves and their communities, and come with an evil sunnah, bring one themselves their sin and the sin of those who perform it following them and there is no power nor strength except with Allah the Lofty and Great.
O Allah give success to the Muslims to remedy their actions and statements, and grant them sincerity to your noble face, and holding to the sunnah of your prophet r.
Excerpt taken from:الملخص الفقهي
Translated by: Eesa John Starling
September 24, 2005
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