A222
Surah: 002 - Ayah: 222
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2:222
Giryah-u zari: Just as the salat of shari 'at is not permitted without external taharat (purity), so the bandagi of haqiqat, which is for the attainment of spirituality, is not permissible without internal purity. Internal purity lies in repentance and practical repentance is giryah-u zari, so that the door of spirituality may open. Have you not thought how gloriously God has mentioned repentance and external purity in the same place, for He says: "Indeed God loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves" (2:222). Repentance is internal purity, which is mentioned with external purity, so that it may be clear for the wise people that, just as water is necessary for the purification of external dirt, so is repentance essential to rid oneself of internal dirt and without this repentance which is in the form of giryah-u zari, the grace of spirituality cannot be obtained.
The holy Qur’an in many of its verses draws attention towards external and internal cleanliness and purity. In fact, the Qur’an emphasises it and gives it the status of cibÀdat. Because, for the health of body and soul, it is most necessary that everything related to them must be clean and pure, as it is said in verse (2:222): “Truly God loves those who turn unto Him and loves those who keep themselves pure and clean”. Those servants of God whom He loves are extremely fortunate, and the virtues due to which they have attained this status, are the good deeds of the highest rank.
Among those whom God loves are also those who repent in true sense (2:222) but God never loves those who persist in their sins (2:190).
Tawbah (Weeping in Divine love)
In verse (2:222) God says: "Verily, Allah loves those who do tawbah often and loves those who clean themselves." External tawbah and physical cleanliness alone cannot be sufficient for the friendship of God unless there is tawbah (return to God) with ardent love and recognition and complete purity of soul and intellect.
This verse has been referred 6 times.