باب فضل السواك وخصال الفطرة
The Merit of Siwak and the traits one is born with the inclination to do
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated about Abu Hurairah who said that the messenger of Allah said:
عن أَبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أنَّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «لَوْلا أنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي- أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ- لأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ مَعَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Which means: If It had not constituted a hardship on my nation I would have ordered them to use Siwak with every prayer.
Siwak is a recommended practice by consensus, and it is permissible to use any time, and is corroborated to use with every prayer and when making ablution and when reciting Quran and when woken up and when the odor of the mouth changes.
The saying of the prophet “I would have ordered them” means I would have made it obligatory upon them. An-Nisa’iyy said: it means he would have made Siwak obligatory upon them for every ablution.
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated about Hudhayfah who said that the messenger of Allah said:
وعن حُذَيْفَةَ رضي الله عنه قال: كَانَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَامَ مِن الليل يَشُوصُ فَاهُ بِالسِّوَاكِ. متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Which means: the messenger of Allah used to rub his mouth with Siwak when he woke up at night.
This hadith indicates that it is liked to use Siwak when one wakes up from sleep, because it is a reason for the change of odor of the mouth due to the vapors ascending from the stomach; the Siwak is the instrument of cleansing for that.
Muslim narrated about ^A’ishah may Allah accepts her deeds who said that the messenger of Allah said:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لِرسولِ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ، فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ مَا شَاءَ أنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ، فَيَتَسَوَّكُ، وَيَتَوضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي. رواه مسلم.
Which means: we used to prepare the Siwak and the water for purification for the messenger of Allah, and he would wake up at night whenever Allah willed for him to wake up, and would use Siwak and perform ablution and pray.
This hadith indicates the rewardability of using Siwak prior to performing alution.
Al-Bukhariyy narrated about Anas may Allah accepts his deeds who said that the messenger of Allah said:
وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قَالَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «أكْثَرْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ في السِّوَاكِ». رواه البخاري.
Which means: I have talked to you a lot about Siwak.
This hadith indicates urging one to use Siwak because the prophet exaggerated in elaborating about its merits.
Al-Bukhariyy narrated about Shuraih Ibn Hani’ may Allah accepts his deeds who said:
وعن شريح بن هانئٍ، قَالَ: قلت لعائشة رضي اللهُ عنها: بأَيِّ شَيْءٍ كَانَ يَبْدَأُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ؟ قالت: بِالسِّوَاكِ. رواه مسلم.
Which means: I asked ^A’ishah may Allah accepts her deeds: “with what did the messenger of Allah start whenever he entered his home”, she said: Siwak.
This hadith indicates that using Siwak when one enters his home is recommended.
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated about Abu Musa al-Ash^ariyy may Allah accepts his deeds who said I came in to the messenger of Allah while the edge of the Siwak was on his tongue. In another narration I came in to the messenger of Allah while he was using a moist Siwak and the edge of the Siwak was on his tongue.
وعن أَبي موسى الأشعري رضي الله عنه قال: دَخلتُ عَلَى النَّبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَطَرَفُ السِّوَاكِ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ. متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ، وهذا لفظ مسلمٍ.
في رواية: أتيتُ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يستاك بسواك رطب. قال: وطرف السواك على لسانه .
This hadith indicates the rewardability of using Siwak lengthwise on the tongue, however, it is liked to use it widthwise on the teeth.
An-Nasa’iyy, Ibn Khzaymah in his book As-Sahih and Al-Bukhariyy in his Sahih narrated about ^A’ishah may Allah accepts her deeds who said that the messenger of Allah said:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنَّ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «السِّوَاكُ مَطْهَرَةٌ لِلْفَمِ مَرْضَاةٌ للرَّبِّ». رواه النسائي وابنُ خُزَيْمَةَ في صحيحهِ بأسانيدَ صحيحةٍ. وذكر البخاري رحمه الله في صحيحه هذا الحديث تعليقًا بصيغة الجزم وقال: وقالت عائشة رضي الله عنها.
This means: The Siwak purifies the mouth and is an accepted deed by the Owner of all things.
This hadith shows the merit of Siwak. The siwak has many religious and worldly merits. Some scholars mentioned that using Siwak leads to prosperity and richness, and freshens the mouth, and strengthens the gum, and cures the headache, and stops toothache.
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated about Abu Hurairah who said that the messenger of Allah said:
وعن أَبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «الفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ، أَوْ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الفِطْرَةِ: الخِتَانُ، وَالاسْتِحْدَادُ، وَتَقْلِيمُ الأظْفَارِ، وَنَتْفُ الإبطِ، وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Which means: Five assured matters one is born while having the inclination to do them and anciently the prophets chose as practices circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, clipping the nails, shaving the arm pit and cutting the mustache.
Muslim narrated about ^A’ishah may Allah accepts her deeds who said that the messenger of Allah said:
– وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قَالَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «عَشْرٌ مِنَ الفِطْرَةِ: قَصُّ الشَّارِبِ، وَإعْفَاءُ اللِّحْيَةِ، وَالسِّوَاكُ، وَاسْتِنْشَاقُ المَاءِ، وَقَصُّ الأظْفَارِ، وَغَسْلُ البَرَاجِمِ، وَنَتف الإبْطِ، وَحَلْقُ العَانَةِ، وَانْتِقَاصُ المَاءِ» قَالَ الرَّاوِي: وَنَسِيْتُ العَاشِرَةَ إِلا أنْ تَكُونَ المَضمَضَةُ. قَالَ وَكِيعٌ- وَهُوَ أحَدُ رُواتِهِ- انْتِقَاصُ المَاءِ: يَعْنِي الاسْتِنْجَاءِ. رواه مسلم.
Which means: One is born while having the inclination to do Ten matters cutting the mustache, growing the beard, Using Siwak, sniffing water, washing the knuckles, shaving the arm pit, cutting the nails, shaving the pubic hair, and Istinja’-from urine and defecation. The narrator said I forgot the tenth unless it is rotating water in the mouth.