Religion: Spirituality made Simple - Defining Purity

It should be clearly understood that according to Islam purity does not merely mean purity of overt word or deed. Islamic purity also implies purity of the heart and of the mind.

In the estimation of God, a person cannot be accounted pure unless he has a pure mind.

A person may not actually commit a sinful act, yet he cannot be called good and pure if his heart has a liking for evil and he takes delight in talking about sinfulness, unless, of course, in his heart of hearts he dislikes the taint of sin.

For instance, there are persons who do not use abusive language when enraged but secretly curse their opponent and denounce him as a rogue. We cannot call them pure; only they have been able to hide their inner impurity successfully.

In Islam purity means purity of heart. The tongue, and for that matter, visible conduct are mere tools which might only exhibit external purity. The Holy Quran says:

Whether you disclose that which is in your minds or keep it hidden, Allah will call you to account for it. (Holy Quran, 2:285)

God here raises a very delicate issue. To Him, the primary thing is the inner condition of the mind.

Overt actions including speech merely express the inner state of mind which indeed is the real subject of divine judgment. You may or may not do an evil deed or speak an evil word. But if your heart is impure, you will face divine judgment. Elsewhere Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Be mindful of your obligations to Allah, as far as you can, and hear and obey, and spend in the cause of Allah, it will be the better for you. He who is delivered from the niggardliness of his mind is of those who shall prosper.

This means do all good deeds, but purify your hearts, for a heart that is impure will be called to account. (Let it be made) clear that good means the good heart.

Extract taken from 'Way of the Seekers' by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II. The ebook is online at: [http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Way-of-Seekers.pdf]


The Ahmadiyya Post, Religion. By Zubair Ahmed. Sept 17, 2011