Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Muḥammad in his world
- Part II Muḥammad in history
- 4 The Prophet as lawgiver and legal authority
- 5 Personal piety
- 6 Muḥammad as the pole of existence
- 7 The Prophet Muḥammad in ritual
- 8 Muslim philosophers’ rationalist explanation of Muḥammad’s prophecy
- 9 Where earth and heaven meet: remembering Muḥammad as head of state
- Part III Muḥammad in memory
- Index of Quaran Verses
- General Index
5 - Personal piety
from Part II - Muḥammad in history
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Muḥammad in his world
- Part II Muḥammad in history
- 4 The Prophet as lawgiver and legal authority
- 5 Personal piety
- 6 Muḥammad as the pole of existence
- 7 The Prophet Muḥammad in ritual
- 8 Muslim philosophers’ rationalist explanation of Muḥammad’s prophecy
- 9 Where earth and heaven meet: remembering Muḥammad as head of state
- Part III Muḥammad in memory
- Index of Quaran Verses
- General Index
Summary
The collections of sayings and actions of the Prophet Muḥammad record his life in the minutest detail, including the Prophet's advice about the benefits of hair care: “The Prophet said: “Combing [one's hair] expels infectious diseases and moisturizing expels misery.” / The Prophet forbade brushing one's hair two times in a day. / The Prophet said, “Good hair is God's kiswa [the cloth covering of the Ka'ba in Mecca] - so treat it with respect.”” / According to most Muslim theologians and jurists, Muḥammad provided the community with an example (sunna). Sunna contains not only stipulations (rules that the community must follow) but also, more generally, advice about the execution of basic life skills, including personal hygiene. The Muslim tradition's assessment of most of the statements and actions described in the foregoing reports (and many other descriptions of everyday actions) is that they do not, in themselves, give rise to formal religious obligations (wājibāt). Believers who do not follow the Prophet's regulations (and, say, brush their hair more than twice a day) are not committing a major sin or misdemeanor. They are, however, missing out on a chance to perform acts of personal piety.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Companion to Muhammad , pp. 103 - 122Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010
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