Allah the Exalted has produced a row of teeth in the human mouth for a specific need and in accordance with wisdom and purpose. When a child is young, he is given food that does not need to be chewed. At that time, teeth do not grow either. When food that needs to be chewed becomes necessary, teeth also grow. If teeth had been present from birth, mothers would not have nursed their children, because the children, unknowingly, would have bitten their mothers’ breasts. This would have been harmful to the mother. Therefore, teeth grow after a specific time. Observe the craftsmanship of Allah the Exalted: how He has strung pearls in a row in the human mouth, which add to the beauty of a person. If there were no blessing like teeth in the mouth, a person’s speech would become unpleasant. Until a child’s teeth grow, he cannot speak clearly.
The value of this priceless blessing of Allah the Exalted can also be gauged from the fact that if the teeth do not chew food, the stomach cannot digest it. If the stomach does not digest food, then after a time it becomes disordered. When the stomach is disordered, health deteriorates. There are also many foods that, unless they are chewed well, a person is deprived of their flavour. The wise saying is: “When the eye is gone, the world is gone, and when the teeth are gone, the taste is gone.”
After a specific time, the child’s teeth fall out once, and new teeth take their place. This too is a wisdom of the craftsmanship of Allah the Exalted. Look at the structure of the two upper and two lower front teeth. They are sharp-edged and serve the purpose of cutting, but the molars are broad. Their surface is rough, which serves the purpose of grinding. The molars in the upper and lower jaws are like the two millstones of a grinding mill. In other words, the teeth serve as a weapon, a saw, a knife and a mill, and are also a source of adornment. Besides these, there are countless benefits and purposes in them. Teeth are the bone in the human body over which there is no flesh. If there were flesh over it, the required need would not be fulfilled.
The Sharia has urged and emphasised the use of the miswak for their cleaning and hygiene. It may be said that teeth are the only organ whose cleaning is done with wood. Cleaning the teeth is a natural requirement. Dirty, grimy and unsightly teeth make a person blameworthy. If their cleanliness is not taken care of, they become infested with decay. Then going to the dentist becomes a necessity. Cleaning the teeth is part of faith. In it there is the pleasure of the Lord, the following of the Sunnah of the Messenger, and gratitude for the unparalleled blessing of Allah the Exalted.
Our Prophet ﷺ used to use the miswak frequently and also urged the Ummah to do so. Therefore, when you use the miswak, do so with the intention and purpose that it is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and a cause of the pleasure and approval of Allah the Exalted. In this way we will gather the blessings of this world and the Hereafter into our lap, and the protection and beauty of the teeth will also be attained. Now tell us: when will you begin to regularly practise the Sunnah of the miswak?
Let the faith-inspiring ahadith about the miswak be observed:
➊ Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
اكثرت عليكم في السواك
“I have emphasised the miswak to you a great deal.”
➋ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لولا أن أشق على أمتي، أو على الناس، لأمرتهم بالسواك مع كل صلاۃ
“If I did not consider it a hardship upon my Ummah, I would have commanded them to use the miswak with every prayer.”
➌ Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) has related this saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
السواك مطهرة للفم، مرضاة للرب
“The miswak is a means of purifying the mouth and a cause of the pleasure of the Lord.”
➍ Also from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) it is narrated that the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:
عشر من الفطرة: قص الشارب، وإعفاء اللحية، والسواك . . . .
“Ten things are part of the fitrah: trimming the moustache, letting the beard grow, and using the miswak……”
➎ Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الغسل يؤم الجمعة واجب على محتلم، وأن يستن، وأن يمس طيبا إن وجد
“Bathing on Friday is obligatory upon every adult; and also, if available, one should use the miswak and apply perfume.”
➏ Abu Abdul Rahman al-Sulami, a Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), narrates:
أمر على بالسواك، وقال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن العبد إذا تسوك ثم قام يصلي، قام الملك خلفه يستمع القرآن، فلا يزال عجبه بالقرآن يدنيه منه، حتى يضع فاه على فيه، فما يخرج من فيه شيء من القرآن إلا صار فى جوف الملك، فطهروا أفواهكم
“Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), while enjoining the use of the miswak, related this saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: when a servant uses the miswak and then stands to pray, an angel stands behind him to listen to the Qur’an. The love of the Qur’an keeps drawing that angel closer to the worshipper, until he places his mouth upon the worshipper’s mouth. Then whatever word of the Noble Qur’an comes out of the worshipper’s mouth enters the stomach of the angel. Therefore, keep your mouths clean.”
◈ Its narrator Fudayl bin Sulayman al-Numayri is, according to the majority of muhaddithun, “hasan al-hadith” (good in narration).
The declaration of it as “da’if” by Hafiz al-Iraqi
and Allamah al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them both)
, according to the majority, is weak (marjuh).
➐ Sayyidina Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا قام يتهجد، يشوص فاه بالسواك.
“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up for Tahajjud, he would cleanse his mouth with the miswak.”
➑ Sayyidina Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
دخلت على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وطرف السواك على لسانه.
“I came into the presence of the Prophet ﷺ and the tip of the miswak was on his tongue.”
❀ In a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari
it is stated:
فوجدته يستن بسواك بيده، يقول: أع، أع، والسواك فى فيه، كأنه يتهؤع.
“I saw him with a miswak in his hand, using it in his mouth in such a way that a sound like ‘a’ ‘a’ came out, as if someone is vomiting.”
➒ Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
كنا نعد لهٔ سواكه وطهوره، فيبعثه الله ما شاء أن يبعثه من الليل، فيتسوك، ويتوضأ، ويصلي . . . . .
“We would prepare water for his wudu and a miswak for him. Then at night, whenever Allah willed, He would wake him. He would use the miswak, perform wudu, and pray (Tahajjud)….”
➓ Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أراني فى المنام أتسوك بسواك، فجذبني رجلان، أحدهما أكبر من الآخر، فناولت السواك الأصغر منهما، فقيل لي : كبر، فدفعته إلى الاكبر
“I saw in a dream that I was using a miswak, then two men pulled me, one of them bigger than the other. I gave the miswak to the smaller one, and I was told: Give it to the bigger one, so I gave it to the bigger one.”
⓫ Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), describing the Tahajjud prayer of the Prophet ﷺ, says:
انه بات عند النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات ليلة، فقام نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من آخر الليل، فخرج فنظر فى السماء، ثم تلا هذه الآية فى آل عمران : ﴿إن فى خلق السماوات والأرض واختلاف الليل والنهار﴾ [Aal-e-Imran: 100] ، حتى بلغ ﴿فقنا عذاب النار﴾ [Aal-e-Imran: 191] ، ثم رجع إلى البيت فتسوك وتوضأ، ثم قام فصلي، ثم اضطجع ثم قام فخرج فنظر الي السماء فتلا هذه الاية ثم رجع فتسوك فتوضأ
“He spent a night at the house of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ woke up in the last part of the night, went out, looked at the sky, and recited the two verses of Surah Aal-e-Imran
. Then he returned to the house, used the miswak and performed wudu, then stood and prayed. Then the Prophet ﷺ lay down and slept, then woke up, went out, looked at the sky, recited the aforementioned verses, then returned and used the miswak and performed wudu, then stood and prayed.”
⓬ Shurayh ibn Hani says that he asked Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) what the first act of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was when he entered the house. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The miswak.
⓭ Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) describes the illness of the Prophet ﷺ before his death thus:
دخل عبد الرحمن بن أبى بكر، ومعه سواك يستن به، فنظر إليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقلت له : أعطني هذا السواك يا عبد الرحمن ! فأعطانيه، فقصمته، ثم مضغته، فأعطيته رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاستن به، وهو مستسند الي صدري
“Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came while he was using a miswak. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at him, so I said to him: Abdur Rahman! Give me this miswak. He gave me the miswak, I broke it, then chewed it, then handed it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He used the miswak while leaning against my chest.”
Benefit No. ① Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says:
كان نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يستاك، فيعطيني السواك لأغسله، فأبدا به، فأستاك، ثم أغسله، وأدفعه إليه.
“The Prophet of Allah ﷺ would use the miswak, then give it to me to wash, then I would begin using it, then wash it and return it to him.”
◈ Its narrator Kathir ibn Ubayd al-Taymi is “hasan al-hadith.”
Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says about him:
يعد فى الكوفيين “He is counted among the Kufans.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned him in his book “al-Thiqat”
.
◈ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) declared one of his narrations “sahih”
.
◈ Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him)
also declared one of his narrations “sahih.”
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) agreed with them.
◄ Regarding this hadith, Allama al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
حديث حسن، رواه ابو داود باسناد جيد .
“This hadith is hasan. Imam Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it with a good chain.”
◈ From this hadith it is established that a woman may also use the miswak; rather, men and women are equal sharers in the virtue and emphasis of the miswak. Also, from this hadith it is known that a woman may use her husband’s miswak even without his permission.
◄ In this regard, Yazid ibn Asam (may Allah have mercy on him), a Tabi’i, narrates:
كان سواك ميمونة ابنة الحارث زوج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم منقعا فى ماء، فإن شغلها عنه عمل او صلاة، وإلا فاخذته واستاكت .
“The miswak of Sayyidah Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, would be soaked in water. When she was busy with prayer or some other task, she would leave it, otherwise she would keep using the miswak.”
Benefit No. ② Sayyidina Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
تجزى من السواك الأصابع
“Fingers also serve the purpose of a miswak.”
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) called this hadith “da’if,” but the correct view is that according to the principles of the muhaddithun its chain is “hasan.” والله اعلم !
From this hadith it is established that if a miswak cannot be found, the teeth may be cleaned with the fingers.
Benefit No. ③ Using the miswak while fasting is permissible, as narrated from Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لو لا أن أشق على أمتي، أو على الناس، لأمرتهم بالسواك مع كل صلاة
“If I did not consider it a hardship upon my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the miswak with every prayer.”
◈ Imam al-Nasa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) titled a chapter on this hadith with these words:
الرخصة فى السواك بالعشي للصائم.
“The concession regarding using the siwak in the evening for one who is fasting.”
◈ Allamah al-Sindhi Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) comments on this:
ومنه يؤخذ ما ذكره المصنف من الترجمة، ولا يخفى أن هذا من المصنف استنباط دقيق وتيقظ عجيب، فلله دره، ما ادق واحد فهمه
“From this hadith is also derived the ruling that the author (Imam al-Nasa’i, may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in the chapter heading. Undoubtedly, this is a very subtle deduction by the Imam and a remarkable alertness of mind. Glory be to Allah! How precise and sharp was his understanding.”
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:
لا بأس أن يستاك الصائم السواك الرطب واليابس
“There is no harm in a fasting person using a fresh or dry siwak.”
◈ Some people, to prevent fasting persons from using the siwak, give the argument that the siwak removes the odour of the fasting person’s mouth, which is better in the sight of Allah than musk. However, this is merely a doubt. Shaykh al-Islam Thani, the divine scholar Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) gave the following six answers to this doubt:
➊ إن المضمضة ابلغ من السواك فى قطع خلوف الفم، وقد أجمع على مشروعيتها للصائم.
➋ إن رضوان الله أكبر من استطابته لخلوف فم الصائم.
➌ إن محبته للسواك اعظم من محبته لبقاء خلوف فم الصائم.
➍ إن السواك لا يمنع طيب الخلوف الذى يزيله السواك عند الله يؤم القيامة.
➎ إن الخلوف لا يزول بالسواك، لأن سببه قائم، وهو خلو المعدة من الطعام.
➏ إن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم علم أمته ما يستحب وما يكره لهم فى الصيام، ولم يجعل السواك من المكروه.
➊ Gargling removes the mouth’s odour more than the siwak does, yet there is consensus of the Muslim Ummah on the legislation of gargling for the fasting person.
➋ The pleasure of Allah is far greater than the odour of the fasting person’s mouth… in comparison.
➌ The love Allah has for the siwak is greater than the odour of the fasting person’s mouth.
➍ The siwak does not remove that odour of the fasting person’s mouth which will be beloved to Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
➎ This odour is not removed by the siwak, because its cause remains, and that cause is the emptiness of the stomach.
➏ The Prophet (ﷺ) explained to his Ummah all the recommended and disliked matters of fasting, but he did not declare the siwak disliked for the fasting person.
❀ In a narration, Sayyiduna Umar bin Rabi’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports:
رأيت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم ما لا أحصي يتسوك، وهو صائم
“I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) using the siwak countless times while he was fasting.”
◈ Although its chain is “da’if” because in it there is a narrator named Asim bin Ubaydullah, who is “da’if” according to the majority of hadith scholars. Imam al-Nawawi
, Allamah al-Haythami
and Hafiz Ibn Hajar
(may Allah have mercy on them) also reached this verdict. However, from general hadiths it is established that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used the siwak repeatedly while fasting, as we have already mentioned citing Imam al-Nasa’i (may Allah have mercy on him).
Benefit No. ④
Abu Salamah, a Tabi’i, reports:
فكان زيد بن خالد يشهد الصلوات فى المسجد، وسواکه على أذنه موضع القلم من أذن الكاتب، لا يقوم إلى الصلاة إلا استن، ثم رده إلى موضعه .
“Sayyiduna Zayd bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) would come to the mosque for the prayers with the siwak placed on his ear like a pen on the ear of a scribe. Whenever he stood up for prayer, he would use the siwak, then return it to its place.”
◈ Its chain is “da’if” because in it the narrator Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar is “mudallis,” and he narrates with the wording “an” (from), and no explicit statement of hearing has been found.
❀ In Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi
there is also a marfu’ narration which mentions the Prophet (ﷺ) placing the siwak on the ear.
◈ However, that too is “da’if” due to the tadlis of Muhammad bin Ishaq and Sufyan al-Thawri.
Benefit No. ⑤ The words of a hadith are:
صلاة بسواك أفضل من سبعين صلاة بغير سواك
“One prayer performed with the siwak is better than seventy prayers performed without the siwak.”
◈ Its chain is “da’if,” because in it both Muhammad bin Ishaq and Muhammad bin Shihab are “mudallis” and do not explicitly state hearing.
◈ For this reason Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed doubt about its authenticity. Mentioning this hadith, he said:
ان صح الخبر، لاني خائف ان يكون محمد بن اسحاق لم يسمع من محمد بن مسلم، وإنما دلسه عنه.
“If this hadith is sahih… ! Because I fear that Muhammad bin Ishaq did not hear this hadith from Muhammad bin Muslim (Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri), but committed tadlis on him.”
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) has also said exactly this.
◈ Therefore, Imam al-Hakim’s declaring it “sahih” on the condition of Muslim, and Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) agreeing with him, is not correct.
❀ Another chain of this same narration is found in Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi
.
◈ However, it too is “da’if,” because in it there is the narrator Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi, who is “da’if” according to the majority of hadith scholars. Imam al-Bayhaqi himself also declared him “da’if.”
❀ A third chain of it is mentioned in Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi
.
◈ However, it too is “da’if.” In it there is the narrator Faraj bin Fadalah, who is “da’if.”
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: فهذا إسناد غير قوى “This chain is not strong.”
◈ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا يصح حديث الصلاة بأثر السواك أفضل من الصلاة بغير سواك، وهو باطل.
“It is not sahih that a prayer performed with the siwak is better than a prayer performed without the siwak. This narration is baseless.”
◈ In sum, this narration is “da’if” with all its chains, as Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
واسانيده معلولة.
“Its chains are defective.”
◄ However, a statement of the same kind is found from the Tabi’i Hassan ibn Atiyyah, who said:
يقال : ركعتان يستاك فيهما العبد أفضل من سبعين ركعة لا يستاك فيها.
“Two rak’ahs preceded by using the miswak are better than seventy rak’ahs in which the miswak is not used.”
Benefit No. 6: It is attributed to Sayyidina Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
نعم السواك الزيتون، من شجرة مباركة، يطيب الفم، ويذهب بالحفر، هو سواكي وسواك الأنبياء قبلي
“The best miswak is the miswak of the blessed olive tree. It makes the mouth fragrant and removes the decay of the teeth. This was my miswak and the miswak of the prophets before me.”
◈ However, this narration is موضوع (fabricated), because:
① Its narrator Muhammad ibn Muhsin al-Akkashi is a “liar” (kadhdhab).
◈ Regarding him, Imam al-Daraqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
متروك، يضع “He was an abandoned narrator; he would fabricate hadiths himself.”
② Regarding Mu’alla ibn Nufayl al-Harrani, Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
ولم أجد من ذكرہ. “I have not found his mention in any book.”
◈ It is thus established that the virtue of the olive miswak is not proven at all. People who sell goods take great benefit from this false narration, writing it out and hanging it up, although nothing of this kind has been established.
