Ways of The Prophet (S.A.W)

MISWAK (THE TOOTH- STICK)

There are a number of traditions relating to the excellence and significance of cleaning the teeth with a miswak.

The prophet has said: “Were it not that I might distress my people, I would order them to use the miswak at every time of prayer.” [Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim]

The use of miswak is a means of purifying the mouth and is pleasing to ALLAAH. [Bukhari]

He said: Whenever JEBRAEEL (Alah salam) came to me, he asked me to use the tooth-stick with the result that I have been afraid of chafing the front of my mouth. [Musnad Ahmed]

Whenever the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) intended to recite the Holy QURAAN, or to go to sleep, he would use a miswak, he used to do the same when he would enter the house. Hadrat Aishah (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anha) says; the first thing which the prophet would do on entering the house was to use miswak (tooth stick). He also did so when he performed Wudu (Ablution) and perform his Salaah.

It is enough to use a finger to clean the teeth, whether this be his own finger or another person’s, Abu Naim and Baihaqi have reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) used to appy miswak to his teeth breadthwise. In Mawahib -e- Ladunniyah it is said that the miswak be used with the right hand: doing so is mustahabs (a praiseworthy act).

Some of the commentators on the traditions have said that in using miswak one should begin with the right side. Hadrat Aishah (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anha) narrated that the Prophet’s miswak used to be kept near him at night, for when he got up to pray during the night, he cleaned his mouth with the tooth-stick before performing the ablution. [Bukhari, Muslim, lbn Sa’d]

Hadrat Aishah narrated that it was customary with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) that when he got up after sleep by day or by night, he would use the tooth-stick before performing ablution. [Marif-ul- Hadis, Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Abu Dawud]

The last act of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) on his death-bed was to use a miswak.

Hadrat Aishah (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala An ha) narrated “The Salaah before which the tooth - stick is used is seventy times more excellent than that before which it is not used.” [Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman]