Islam has stressed on cleanliness. Being neat and tidy for the sake of Allah is worship. Sa'eed Muhammad Al-Deeb expounds on this important characteristic in his book Rules for the Muslim Home, an excerpt of which follows: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “You are going to meet some brothers of yours, so reform your saddles, and be well dressed until you become a shining star in the sight of the other people because Allah dislikes vice and using viciousness.” (Abu Dawood) Reforming the saddle in those days corresponds to a car today. Tidying the clothes is included among those things which make a Muslim appear nice in the eyes of other people. This is a duty that Muslims should do inside and outside their homes. Whoever enters a Muslim's house should see it pleasing. This will never happen unless one devotes great care to the neatness of the house and his own-self. The wife should be an example to her husband and children. In fact, all members of the household should adapt to that, except for some casual occasions where one may look shabby. (When we were small), we would see some of our teachers looking smart and neat whether we visited them in the day or night. Not only that, but we used to see their houses very well-organized. They were like soldiers alert in their jobs and duties. Unfortunately, many people today live in a shambles and neglect their houses. Whenever you visit them you find disorganized tables and shelves, and scattered clothes everywhere. So wherever you look, you see disorganization. Furthermore, the wife sometimes stays wearing her nightgown after she wakes up and you see her children dirty and neglected. Indeed, all these things are against the morals of the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cleaned Osama (Bin Zaid) once when he was a child because he saw him dirty; Ayesha advised a woman to make herself look attractive for her husband; and Ibn Abbas ordered a man to look handsome in the eyes of his wife, the way she does for him. A Muslim should be clean and neat whether inside or outside the house and this should be a habit. Here a few tips for an organized home: u Return things to their places after use. u Adapt yourself not to throw around your things. u Keep every room – guestroom, bedroom, library, or kitchen – tidy. Clean them often. u Remember to stack papers and arrange books correctly. Books and papers spread all over the table is such a common sight. u Wash, clean yourself, and change your clothes after you wake up. u Teach children how to be clean and neat throughout the day. Scholars of Islam have stressed on the importance of organizing oneself. Part of that organizing is having a proper sleeping schedule in place, especially for children.
