Cleanliness and Refinement

Cleanliness and Refinement

Summary:

Be the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind.
The mother must rear the child in the way of extreme cleanliness.
Wash one's feet.
Perfume one's self.
Bathe in clean water.
Cut one's nails..
Wash soiled things in clean water
Be stainless in one's dress.
Renew the furnishings of one's house.

Related Writings: (Writings in bold are good for memorizing)

"Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments....Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind. This, truly, is what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth for you." - Baha'u'llah

"God hath enjoined upon you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt and similar defilement. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure. Should the garb of anyone be visibly sullied, his prayers shall not ascend to God, and the celestial Concourse will turn away from him. Make use of rose water, and of pure perfume; this indeed, is that which God hath loved from the beginning that hath no beginning, in order that there may be diffused from you what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth." -Baha'u'llah

"Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after the passing of each nineteen years... He, verily, is desirous of refinement, both for you yourselves and for all that ye possess; lay not aside the fear of God and be not of the negligent." - Baha'u'llah

"Wash your feet once every day in summer, and once every three days during winter." -Baha'u'llah

"Question: Concerning the washing of the feet in winter and summer. Answer: It is the same in both cases; warm water is preferable, but there can be no objection to cold." -Baha'u'llah

"It hath been enjoined upon you to pare your nails, to bathe yourselves each week in water that covereth your bodies, and to clean yourselves with whatsoever ye have formerly employed....Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is not permissible to bathe yourselves in water that hath already been used....If the bather, instead of entering the water, wash himself by pouring it upon his body, it shall be better for him and shall absolve him of the need for bodily immersion." -Baha'u'llah

"The mother must continually call God to mind and make mention of Him, and tell of His greatness, and instill the fear of Him in the child, and rear the child gently, in the way of tenderness, and in extreme cleanliness. Thus from the very beginning of life every child will be refreshed by the gentle waftings of the love of God and will tremble with joy at the sweet scent of heavenly guidance. In this lieth the beginning of the process; it is the essential basis of all the rest." -`Abdu'l-Baha

"The choice of clothing and the cut of the beard and its dressing are left to the discretion of men. But beware, O people, lest ye make yourselves the playthings of the ignorant." - Baha'u'llah

"Let there not be in your demeanor of which sound and upright minds would disapprove, and make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant. Well is it with him who hath adorned himslef with the vesture of seemly conduct and a praiseworthy character. He is assuredly reckoned with those who aid their Lord through distinctive and outstanding deeds." -Baha'u'llah

"To be pure and holy in all things is an attribute of the consecrated soul and a necessary characteristic of the unenslaved mind. The best of perfections is immaculacy and the freeing of oneself from every defect. Once the individual is, in every respect, cleansed and purified, then will he become a focal center reflecting the Manifest Light.
     First in a human being's way of life must be purity, then freshness, cleanliness, and independence of spirit. First must the stream bed be cleansed, then may the sweet river waters be led into it....
     My meaning is this, that in every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition and further the development of man's inner reality. Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality, as the Holy Writings clearly state. And although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the spirit....The purport is that physical cleanliness doth also exert its effect upon the human soul.
     Observe how pleasing is cleanliness in the sight of God, and how specifically it is emphasized in the Holy Books of the Prophets....
     O Divine Providence! Bestow Thou in all things purity and cleanliness upon the people of Baha. Grant that they be freed from all defilement, and released from all addictions. Save them from committing any repugnant act, unbind them from the chains of every evil habit, that they may live pure and free, wholesome and cleanly, worthy to serve at Thy Sacred Threshold and fit to be related to their Lord. Deliver them from intoxicating drinks and tobacco, save them, rescue them, from this opium that bringeth on madness, suffer them to enjoy the sweet savors of holiness, that they may drink deep of the mystic cup of heavenly love and know the rapture of being drawn ever closer unto the Realm of the All-Glorious....
     Make ye then a mighty effort, that the purity and sanctity which, above all else, are cherished by `Abdu'l-Baha, shall distinguish the people of Baha; that in every kind of excellence the people of God shall surpass all other human beings; that both outwardly and inwardly they shall prove superior to the rest; that for purity, immaculacy, refinement, and the preservation of health, they shall be leaders in the vanguard of those who know. And that by their freedom from enslavement, their knowledge, their self-control, they shall be first among the pure, the free and the wise." -`Abdu'l-Baha

Ideas:

Start forming healthy habits and high standards of cleanliness from the earliest age.
Have your home be an example of extreme cleanliness.
Set a daily and weekly cleaning routine.
Train your children to keep the house clean (putting away toys, shoes, clothes as soon as they are developmentally capable of these things).
Change your child's clothing if it is visibly soiled, especially before saying morning and evening prayers.
In our house, we make a habit of brushing our teeth and having clean clothing before prayers every morning and evening.
Because of the law of washing one's feet, we bathe our whole bodies in warm water every day.
Make sure you and your child have trimmed nails.
Put some rose water on you and your child after brushing your teeth in the morning. It's very refreshing and smells so good.
Make a small book about cleanliness using some of the quotes cited here and pictures of clean, healthy, refined children. Glue the pages to poster board, use transparent shelf paper as a laminate, and use transparent tape to bind the pages together.