Chapter
His Guidance on Fitrah (the Natural Disposition) and Related Matters

The disagreement has already been discussed as to whether the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was born circumcised, was circumcised by the angels when his chest was first opened, or was circumcised by his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib.

He liked to give preference to the right when putting on his shoes, grooming his hair, purifying himself, and receiving and giving things. He used his right hand for eating, drinking, and purification, and his left for cleansing himself after relieving himself and similar tasks involving the removal of impurities.

His practice regarding shaving his head was either to leave all his hair or to shave it all. He did not shave part of it and leave the rest. He is not known to have shaved his head except as part of the pilgrimage rites.

He loved using the tooth-stick and would use it both when fasting and when not fasting. He used it upon waking, when performing ablution, before prayer, and upon entering his home. His tooth-stick was a twig from the arāk tree.

He frequently applied perfume and loved pleasant fragrances.

It is reported that he used to apply a lime-based depilatory paste (1).

At first, he wore his hair hanging loose; later, he parted it. Parting means dividing the hair into two sections, each forming a lock; leaving it loose means letting it hang down behind without dividing it into two sections.

He never entered a bathhouse, and perhaps he never even saw one. No hadith from the Prophet concerning bathhouses has been established as authentic (2).