Al Haqeeqa
Dr Abdul Rashid Agwan
One angle of mainstreaming and universalization of Ummah lies in its participation in resolving some of the critical issues and problems of the world in the light of explicit teachings of Islam. Muslims’ successful venturing in this regard will enhance their social receptivity and they will be able to enjoy more clout in human affairs in due course of time, apart from discharging what is their Islamic responsibility. For instance, the present world is facing some acute problems which may become acuter in future while posing some serious challenges and hardships for humanity at large.
If Muslims join others in resolving these problems, while taking inspiration from their faith, this will generate respect for both, Islam and Muslims. There is no doubt that Islam is replete with various useful teachings which should be deemed effective in dealing with many future issues.
A list of such issues may be developed for action wherein Islam provides abundant guidance in their resolution. An initial inventory in this regard should include racism, environmental degradation, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, food scarcity, water hygiene, alcoholism, drug abuse, consumer rights, suicide, status of woman, caring the aged people, moral degradation, etc. Besides several international issues, many local and national level issues can be envisaged wherein Islam gives evident guidance and encourages Muslims to take up those issues earnestly for saving innumerable human beings from distress, delusion and destruction. Importance of this engagement can be understood from one example from the above-mentioned list, i.e. the water hygiene.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wisely instructed his adherents regarding many kinds of hygiene, including the use of water for cleanliness. He was born in a desert-torn land where water was a precious thing. Yet, he gave a system where ablution of exposed parts of body has been made obligatory not once a day, but at least five times. An ablution includes washing of hands up to elbow, mouth, nostrils, face and feet. He also taught to properly wash private parts and hands after the call of nature, rather full ablution is preferred. He made it obligatory to take bath at least once a week and also whenever the body becomes unclean due to various specified reasons. He said, “The blessing of food is (received by) washing (the hands) before and washing (the hands) after (taking) it.” He forbade exhaling on drinking water or putting fingers in it. He also said, “When you get up from bed, don’t put your hand in a bowel (of food or drink) before washing it three times.” The Qur’ān (2:222) also says Allah “. loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.”
Significance of the water hygiene inculcated by Islam can be understood from the fact that “most problematic infections in hospitals and the community such as MRSA, VRE, Clostridium difficile, Pneumonia, etc spread due to poor hand-hygiene. Regular hand-washing is the best method for preventing the spread of infection since water has been found an effective germ killer. MRSA is found in wounds, armpits, the nose and groin; VRE can be found in the urine, feces and blood; C. difficile germs can be found in feces and Pneumonia is often times airborne, infecting people through cough and sneezes. All of these germs can be spread through skin contact, usually by people contaminating surfaces with dirty hands.” Nowadays, hand hygiene is considered important not only for common people but also for health workers. In the wake, World Health Organisation has recently started an annual campaign under the caption, ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’. It has been reported that since 2009, new cases of MRSA and C. difficile have fallen by 41% and 30% respectively in England. Now, World Handwash Day is observed on 15 October involving 200 million people in more than 100 countries. The campaign of ‘handwashing with soap’ was originally launched for saving millions of children in developing countries from diarrhea and acute respiratory diseases. Water hygiene is now an upcoming practice but it was part of Islamic traditions long back. If Muslims fervently participate in such global campaigns or initiate their own ones, while reflecting on relevant teachings of Islam, the act will definitely promote the community’s mainstreaming in a big way.
[Excerpts from the author’s book Islam in 21st Century: Dynamics of Change and Future-making, 2014]Dailyhunt
