Ṭahārah: Principle of Purity in Ismā‘īlī Interpretation

Tahārah, purity in Arabic, is one of the primary principles of interpretation of the Islamic faith in the Ismā‘īlī intellectual and spiritual traditions. This article, drawing on the primary sources, explores the concept of purity and purification as it appears in the Qur’ān. Besides physical cleanliness related to the human body, hygiene, and dwelling and praying spaces, the article investigates the concept in an abstract sense, that is, interpreting it through sources of authority as to how it is understood in terms of thought, behaviour, and belief. It concludes that for Ismā‘īlīs, the imām is the person who has the authority to interpret the faith and his knowledge and guidance are the sources of purification.