ISLAM: Scrub, polish, clean – repeat.
One of the most truly miraculous things about Islam is the amount of genuine introspection that this faith requires. In a world, which talks extensively, exhaustively and relentlessly about the external, Islam tells you not to look at yourself, but to look into yourself. Islam asks you to keep yourself in the forefront of your consciousness. What does this mean? For starters it means, not worrying yourself about the actions of others.
Instead, look into yourself, observe yourself, decode yourself. What makes you angry? What gives you hope? What makes you cry? Instead of looking around to observe the faults and shortcomings of others, channel your energy inwards. No matter who you are, where you are, what you are - there is always much work to be done at home. So, scrub, polish, clean – repeat. Islam says: before correcting someone else, unlearn your bad habits, be conscious of your actions, be kind with your words. When you feel yourself looking outside, scrutinizing others - look inside and see the muck there. Essentially, give your own house a spring clean before taking the bucket over to your neighbour’s. Scrub, polish, clean – repeat. We are humans: which means we are forgetful, heedless and frankly, we are all deeply flawed. The moment we feel iridescent with our own spirituality or cleanliness, many of us get a compulsion to go play in the mud. The most important thing to remember is that, no matter how dirty you feel, it is never too late to start again.
Scrub, polish, clean – repeat. In a world which says, “Look! Look! Look! Out! Over there!” Islam says, “Look inside, and see what you find there.”
