During Ramadan, we constantly talk about purification and cleansing. Perhaps we discuss it because it is the easiest topic to address, or because it is broad enough to encompass everything. The conversations reach such a level that they lose credibility and start to create weariness in people. Maybe those who listen to or read such words experience a sense of discomfort and constriction. The more we hear, "Fasting is purification," the more tense we become; the more we hear, "Prayer is cleanliness," the more we stiffen; the more we hear, "Zakat is purification," the more suffocated we feel. It is such an overwhelming tension that instead of fostering faith, it breeds resistance and a desire to defend our current state.
Everyone must be asking themselves: Are we really as impure as they say? This is, in fact, a serious question that deserves consideration. Just as every person has the right to ask this question, those who speak and think about religion must provide a clear and direct answer. Because for a person to have a clear understanding of their state and humanity as a whole, they need to know the answer. What does Islam actually tell us? How impure are we that we constantly hear about the need for purification and cleansing?
Islam acknowledges the sins and impurities of human beings, but not to the exaggerated extent that a person might assume. At the very least, it does not accept the accusation, as Christians claim, that we are "sinful" or born with original sin. Instead, Islam teaches that we are born in a pure state, start life with a noble purpose, grow up in a clean environment and remain untainted until reaching the age of maturity.
According to Islam, human sin and impurity cannot be so severe that they would require the crucifixion of the son of God to be cleansed. To burden a person with such a weight would be to leave them in a state of despair. Since every human comes into the world in purity, so too is nature pure. Islam upholds the purity of nature, recognizing the earth as being as clean as a place of worship and as a teacher who can refine the human soul. The world is not a prison or a place of exile for humanity.
In Islam, the greatest – and indeed the only true – impurity is associating partners with God (shirk). This category today includes atheism and deism, as they represent perspectives that deny or reject God’s unity. One negates Him entirely, another denies connection with Him, while another rejects His oneness. In short, they all lead to the same outcome – nowhere. They take a person nowhere, keeping them stagnant and disconnected from truth, thereby contaminating the soul. This impurity has no equivalent; until one is purified from it, there can be no talk of true cleanliness. The Quran states, "The polytheists are (spiritually) impure," indicating this concept. Polytheists can only be purified through the waters of faith. For them, ablution is faith itself, and repentance is the declaration of divine unity (tawhid). Without this acknowledgment, their purification remains incomplete.
Does a believer become impure after having faith? Of course, they do – otherwise, religiosity would be meaningless. However, any impurity that follows is incidental. Islam teaches the awareness to differentiate between impurity in faith and impurity in deeds and morality. Moral and behavioral cleanliness cannot purify a corrupted faith, just as strong faith cannot be tainted by moral shortcomings. This is why the Prophet Muhammad said, "A believer does not become impure." As long as faith remains, a person's impurity can only be spoken of in a relative sense. It is important to recognize that Islam does not impose excessive rules regarding purification. This is evident from the process itself.
Islam demonstrates that a person can be cleansed through very simple actions. This is a blessing from the prophet, who emphasized that Islam is a religion of ease. First and foremost, repentance is a complete act of purification and is performed merely through words. If a person sincerely repents before God, they are considered pure. No one has the right to gossip about them or judge them by their past. Ablution cleanses our body from the arrogance of power and control. The ablution of the limbs is a form of repentance. Washing our hands means saying, "O Lord, strength belongs to You." Rinsing our mouths symbolizes cleansing ourselves of sinful words; washing our noses represents ridding ourselves of pride. Washing our faces purifies us from hypocrisy and selfishness. Wiping our heads expresses submission to the divine will. Washing our feet signifies purification from walking on sinful paths. If purification is possible through such simple actions, then it is purely a divine grace.
But why do we become impure so quickly? Because just as we can easily purify ourselves, we also forget easily and fall into sin. This is not a hardship or difficulty. As long as we continue to perform ablution, purification remains possible. A believer cleanses themselves with ablution and enters the divine presence.
