From what do we need purification? | Exodus Conversations

David Arnow Jewish

We wash to cleanse ourselves of indifference to the oppression of other human beings.

To purify our hearts of dark wishes to dominate others.
To loosen the unhealthy habits that enslave us.
To prepare for a clear assessment of how we use and abuse freedom.
To scrub away stains of cynicism.
To remind ourselves that we are worthy of care.
To demonstrate that we are heirs to traditions, to manners.
To reawaken the sense of wonder as water runs through our fingers.

We wash to renew feelings of gratitude. We have water. We have hands.

Mary C. Boys Christian

We wash for all the reasons David has listed.

As we wash, we also remember in particular two events in the life of Jesus, his baptism and his washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. So we wash for these reasons as well:

To renew our own promises in baptism to renounce sin and evil.
To recall belonging to the body of Christ
To be clothed with the baptismal garment of “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (see Colossians 3:12)
To wash one another’s feet—that is, to be of service.

Muhammad Shafiq Muslim

We wash ourselves for all the reasons stated in the Jewish voice. As we wash ourselves, taking ablution before worship, or taking ritual baths or washing hands before meals:

We wash to purify ourselves from any wrongdoing and sins that we may have committed against God Almighty, or ourselves or others or the environment.
We wash so God loves us as God loves clean and pure people.
We wash to extinguish anger, suppress greed and control our desires.
We wash to praise God’s blessing with gratitude.
We wash to remind ourselves that we are heirs of the Abrahamic legacy and tradition.

Note: Translation of the Qur’anic verses and many of the Hadith translation with references were taken from Islamicity.com; some translations of and references to the Hadith were taken from ahadith.co.uk.

Related Texts

Abu Huraira reported: Allah’s Messenger [may peace be upon him] said: “When a bondsman — a Muslim or a believer — washes his face [in course of ablution], every sin he contemplated with his eyes will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins.”
— Hadith Muslim, Book 002, Number 0475

Verily, God loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and He loves those who keep themselves pure.
— Qur’an 2:222

AND LO! The angels said: “O Mary! Behold, God has elected thee and made thee pure, and raised thee above all the women of the world.”
— Qur’an 3:42

O YOU who have attained to faith! When you are about to pray, wash your face, and your hands and arms up to the elbows, and pass your [wet] hands lightly over your head, and [wash] your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state, requiring total ablution, purify yourselves. But if you are ill, or are traveling, or have just satisfied a want of nature, or have cohabited with a woman, and can find no water — then take resort to pure dust, passing therewith lightly over your face and your hands. God does not want to impose any hardship on you, but wants to make you pure, and to bestow upon you the full measure of His blessings, so that you might have cause to be grateful.
— Qur’an 5:6

Nu’aim b. Abdullah al-Mujmir reported: I saw Abu Huraira perform ablution. He washed his face and washed it well. He then washed his right hand including a portion of his arm. He then washed his left hand including a portion of his arm. He then wiped his head. He then washed his right foot including his shank, and then washed his left foot including shank, and then said: “This is how I saw Allah’s Messenger [may peace be upon him] perform his ablution.” And [Abu Huraira] added that the Messenger of Allah [may peace be upon him] had observed: “You shall have your faces, hands and feet bright on the Day of Resurrection because of your perfect ablution. He, who can afford among you, let him increase the brightness of his forehead and that of hands and legs.”
— Hadith Muslim, Book 002, Number 0477

(For more details on this subject see: Al Bukhari, Kitab al Taharah and the same in Muslim, the two known Hadith Books in Islam)