From: Fiqhi Ahkām wa Masā’il – Volume 1, Page 38
✦ Introduction
Cleaning the teeth and gums using a branch of a tree to remove plaque and eliminate bad odor is one of the qualities of natural disposition (Khisāl al-Fiṭrah).
✦ Miswāk – A Prophetic Practice
❖ Hadith:
“Using the miswāk has remained a Sunnah of the Prophets.”
(Ḍaʿīf) – Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Nikāḥ, Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī Faḍl al-Tazwīj wa al-Ḥathth ʿAlayh – Ḥadīth 1080
It is reported that the first person to use a miswāk was Ibrāhīm عليه السلام.
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
“السِّوَاكُ مَطْهَرَةٌ لِلْفَمِ مَرْضَاةٌ لِلرَّبِّ”
“Miswāk is a purifier for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord.”
📚 Al-Muṣannaf li Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/155, Ḥadīth 1787
📚 Agreed upon: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Jumuʿah – Bāb al-Siwāk Yawm al-Jumuʿah) Ḥadīth 887, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Ṭahārah – Bāb al-Siwāk) Ḥadīth 252
There are nearly one hundred Ahādīth highlighting the virtue and importance of miswāk, from which it is proven that miswāk is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah (strongly emphasized Sunnah) and carries numerous benefits — the greatest being purification of the mouth and the pleasure of Allah.
✦ Types of Miswāk and Preferred Branches
◈ It is preferable to use a somewhat soft twig — ideally from Pīlū (Salvadora persica), olive, date palm, or any branch that is neither too soft nor so hard that it harms the mouth.
✦ Best Times for Miswāk
Miswāk can be done at any time.
A fasting person may use miswāk at any point during the day.
✔ Emphasis at the Time of Wuḍūʾ
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ وُضُوءٍ”
“Had I not feared hardship upon my Ummah, I would have ordered them to use miswāk at every wuḍūʾ.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Jumuʿah – Ḥadīth 887)
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Ṭahārah – Ḥadīth 252)
This Hadith shows that using miswāk at the time of wuḍūʾ is recommended (mustaḥabb).
✔ Before Obligatory or Voluntary Prayer
There is strong encouragement to use miswāk before both obligatory and voluntary prayers to ensure complete cleanliness and purity before drawing close to Allah ﷻ.
✔ Upon Waking From Sleep
It is highly emphasized to use miswāk upon waking up, whether in the night or day.
Hadith:
“كَانَ النَّبِيُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يَشُوصُ فَاهُ بِالسِّوَاكِ”
“When the Prophet ﷺ would wake up at night, he would cleanse his mouth with miswāk.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Wuḍūʾ – Ḥadīth 245)
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Ṭahārah – Ḥadīth 255)
✦ Method of Using the Miswāk
- Miswāk should preferably be held in the left hand.
(No direct textual evidence provided, though the right hand is often considered superior in general use.) - Begin cleaning from the right side of the mouth and move towards the left, covering both the teeth and gums.
✦ Khisāl al-Fiṭrah – Characteristics of Natural Disposition
One of the distinct qualities of our pure religion is that it encourages practices aligned with natural human disposition. These are termed “Khisāl al-Fiṭrah” because they are innate, divinely implanted, and part of the Sunnah of all Prophets.
Apart from miswāk, the following are also among the characteristics of fiṭrah:
❀ ① Removal of Pubic Hair
It is obligatory upon every Muslim to remove hair from around the private parts, using a razor or depilatory substance, for hygienic purposes.
❀ ② Circumcision (Khatnah)
The cutting of the foreskin (ghilāf) is called circumcision, a fiṭrah practice and preferably performed during childhood for quicker healing.
❀ ③ Trimming the Mustache and Growing the Beard
Trimming the mustache and keeping it short:
◈ Leads to cleanliness
◈ Distinguishes Muslims from disbelievers
◈ Highlights manliness
Whereas shaving, trimming the beard, or keeping only a few hairs — all these are a clear opposition to the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Poetic Expression:
“يُقْضَى على المرءِ أيامَ محنتِهِ
حتى يَرَى حَسَناً مَا لَيْسَ بالحَسَنِ”
Translation by ʿAllāmah Iqbāl:
“That which was once deemed evil, becomes good with time,
For slavery alters the conscience of nations.”
Another poem reads:
“ولا عجب أن النساء ترجلت
ولكن تأنيث الرجال عجيب“
“It is not surprising that women act like men,
But it is shocking when men begin acting like women.”
❀ ④ Clipping the Nails
This too is among the traits of fiṭrah.
Letting nails grow long is akin to animal behavior and is an imitation of ignorant cultures.
❀ ⑤ Plucking the Underarm Hair
Plucking underarm hair is a Sunnah.
It is also permissible to shave or remove it using a depilatory.
✦ A Painful Aspect of Cultural Deviation
Nowadays, many people:
✖ Shave off their beards
✖ Grow long mustaches
✖ Neglect bodily hygiene
✖ Imitate non-Islamic cultures
These individuals are leading themselves and the Ummah astray.
“لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ“
✦ Supplication
O Allah! Grant the Muslims the ability to rectify their actions and speech.
Bless them with sincerity and adherence to the Sunnah.
Āmīn.
