Miswaak can be used by anyone but it’s mostly used by Muslims as it’s a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). It’s a means of keeping the mouth clean that Muslims are instructed to use due to its many benefits.
Let’s learn more about it.
Why do Muslims use miswak?
Miswack is a Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). The goal of using it is to keep the mouth clean. It’s used in the morning, after meals, and every time a person performs Wudu.
Cleanliness is very important in Islam and it was mentioned in Hadith and Quran. here are some of the verses about Cleanliness:
“Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” (Al Baqarah 2:222)
“In it (mosque) are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure.” (9:108)
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Cleanliness is half of faith”.
One important act to perform before offering prayers is Wudu (ablutions) which shows how important to stay clean.
Miswsk is used to maintain dental health, it’s used for treating any dental problems, and clean teeth easily. It kills all the bad bacteria, unlike the Dentifrices which kill all the bacteria, even the good ones.
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “A salat offered after one has used it is 70 times superior to the salat offered without it.”
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said: “Jabrael (peace be upon him) recommended using a miswak so much that I feared that it would be made obligatory (fard)”.
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said about the importance of Using Miswak: “If I had not found it a hardship for my Ummah, I would order them to make wudu’ for every salat and to use miswak in every wudu’”.
Here are other hadiths about the importance of using it:
“When you get up for Salat al-Layl, clean your mouth with a miswak because an angel comes close to the mouth of the person reciting the Qur’an in salat and listens to his recitation.”
“Your mouths are the pathways of the Qur’an, so clean them with a miswak.”
“Miswak cleans the mouth, sharpens eyesight, strengthens the gums, whitens the teeth, prevents tooth decay, facilitates digestion, restores the stomach to health, brings an end to the phlegm, and multiplies good deeds. A person using a miswak pleases Allahu ta’ala and delights angels.”
What is a miswak?
A Miswak is a twig the size of a pencil that is obtained from the twigs of the arak tree (Salvadora persica). It thoroughly cleans the teeth naturally without using any chemicals that harm the teeth with time.
How to use miswak?
A Miswak is a twig used for dental health when waking up, after meals, and even before prayers to maintain oral cleanliness and the good smell of the mouth. It’s easy to use and here we will show you how to do so:
With a knife trim 0.5 inches off the edge of it. Then bite on it slightly to form bristles. If it’s dry you could leave it in freshwater or rosewater for 8 hours.
Now you can wash your teeth with it, just move it up and down on your teeth. Every 3 or five days you should cut off the tip of it and repeat the process all over again.
Can I use miswak during fasting?
Yes, a miswak can be used during fasting, as it doesn’t break it. The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The miswak is cleansing for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord”.
Is miswak better than toothbrush?
Medically speaking using natural means to maintain dental health is much better than using chemicals. When using a toothbrush, you have to use toothpaste to clean your mouth. But with Miswak you only need it to itself and even water is not needed.
Whenever you drink a cup of coffee or eat a meal you can wash your teeth with Miswak. It will protect your teeth from stains and will maintain your dental health.
Which miswak is best?
The best Miswak to use is the one that is made from the arak tree (Salvadora persica). But also, the ones made from other trees are okay to use when you don’t have the Miswak made of the arak tree.
it can be made of the Olive tree and the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“How nice is the miswak made of the olive tree, which is a blessed tree! It is my miswak and the miswak of those prophets before me.”
But be careful it is made from a pomegranate tree and should not be used.
Is miswak religious in Islamic culture?
Using it is a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and it’s a Mustahab act. It is a means of brushing the teeth without using a toothbrush to keep the mouth clean. And the person who uses a Miswak will be rewarded for performing a sunnah.
You can use it at any time to maintain your dental health, especially when waking up and after eating food.
The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“Were I not afraid that it would be hard on my followers, I would order them to use the siwak (as obligatory, for cleaning the teeth).”
From this hadith, we can see clearly that using Miswak is Mustahab and Sunnah. It’s very important that the prophet instructed us to do due to its many benefits.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Miswak (tooth-stick) cleanses and purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord.”
Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that whenever the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up for Tahajjud prayer he used to clean his mouth (and teeth) with Siwak.
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