This time I have a question about the Companions and people living during the early times of Islam. How did they wash themselves? Did they use water only or was there some kind of soap? To me this is a concern because T.V. programs, for example, always portray people living in those times as not being very neat and clean.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Companions of the Prophet and their successors are the purest people on earth after Prophet Muhammad . They used to use glasswort to clean themselves, as well as Sidr (Iote) and other plants. As for how they are depicted today in films and programs, this is far from their real state as those who make such programs most of the time aim at lowering the status of these righteous people. Thus, the Muslim should not watch such programs even if they are given religious names. Perhaps the objective behind such programs is what this brother mentioned.

Allaah Knows best.