the natural disposition upon which Allah has fashioned humankind. Whoever observes them has thereby fulfilled weighty features of the upright religion.

These five practices mentioned in the ḥadith form part of the broader concern for cleanliness that Islam has established.

1. Circumcision—removing the foreskin of the male organ. If left in place, impurities and dirt gather beneath it, leading to disease and infection.
2. Shaving the hair around the private parts, both front and back, because leaving it exposes the area to contamination and may interfere with ritual purity.
3. Trimming the mustache; letting it grow long distorts one’s appearance, makes others reluctant to drink after him, and imitates the Magians.
4. Clipping the nails, for when they are left long filth accumulates under them, mixes with food, and causes illness. Long nails can also block water from reaching parts that must be washed in purification.
5. Plucking the armpit hair, since leaving it produces an offensive odor.

In short, removing these things is one of the beauties of Islam, a faith that calls to cleanliness, purity, discipline, and refinement so that the Muslim may appear in the best and most dignified state—for cleanliness is part of faith.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadith:
1 – The fitrah instilled by Allah invites to every good and repels every evil.
2 – These five noble traits stem from that fitrah which Allah loves and commands; people of sound taste are naturally drawn to them and averse to their opposites.
3 – Islam has come with principles of cleanliness, beauty, and perfection.
4 – It is prescribed to tend to these matters regularly and not neglect them.
5 – The figure “five” here is not exclusive; numerical implication alone is not proof. In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim it is related that the Prophet ﷺ would cite, in each context, those practices of the fitrah most suited to it.
6 – Ibn Ḥajar said: Attached to these traits are religious and worldly benefits, among them