Using the miswak is the finest sunnah of dental care.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used the miswak as the first thing he did on entering his home; he took great care of his teeth. He considered using the miswak one of the sunnahs shared by all the prophets. The miswak provides oral hygiene and offers a simple yet meaningful way to follow the sunnah.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي ـ أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ ـ لأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ مَعَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If I had not found it hard for my followers or the people, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth with Siwak for every prayer
Text: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 887. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- Muslim, Book of Purification, 56 (hadith no. 604)
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of Marriage, 1 (hadith no. 1080)
- Muslim, Book of Purification, 43 (hadith no. 590)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Cleanliness
As a table with references: Cleanliness sunnahs.
- Sleeping in a State of Wudu: Making wudu before sleeping is the sunnah that brings peace to the night.
- The Friday Ghusl: Performing ghusl on Friday is to take a share of the blessing of that day.
- Removing an Obstacle from the Road: Removing something harmful from the road is an act of charity.
- Wearing a Pleasant Scent: Wearing a pleasant scent follows the sunnah and is a gift to those around you.
- Applying Ithmid: Applying ithmid kohl to the eyes before sleep shows the care the Prophet gave to eye health.
- Not Entering the Mosque After Onion or Garlic: Not approaching the mosque smelling of onion or garlic shows respect for those around you.