Summary
Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan discusses the virtues and recommended practices of using the siwak (miswak) from the Islamic jurisprudence perspective. He explains that using the siwak is highly recommended by unanimous scholarly agreement for both men and women, citing the hadith that the siwak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to Allah. The episode covers a touching narration about the Prophet Muhammad requesting a siwak even on his deathbed. The ustadh outlines six specific situations where using the siwak is strongly recommended: before prayer, before wudu (ablution), on Fridays, when entering the home, when waking from sleep at night, and when the breath becomes stale. He also clarifies a common misconception, explaining that the modern toothbrush also falls under the concept of siwak since both serve the same purpose of cleaning the mouth.
Key Points
- Using the siwak is highly recommended for both men and women by scholarly consensus
- The hadith states that the siwak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to Allah
- The Prophet Muhammad used the siwak throughout his life, even requesting one on his deathbed
- Six recommended times: before prayer, before wudu, on Fridays, entering the home, waking at night, and when breath is stale
- Modern toothbrushes also fall under the concept of siwak since they serve the same cleaning purpose
- A hadith (graded weak) suggests prayer with siwak is better than 80 prayers without, but the general meaning has scholarly support
- When cleaning the mouth upon waking, the left hand should be used; during the day, the right hand is acceptable
Key Moments
The siwak purifies the mouth and pleases Allah
Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan cites the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasai where the Prophet states that the siwak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to Allah, establishing the spiritual and hygienic basis for miswak use.
"The Siwak, it purifies the person's mouth and it is pleasing to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala"
The Prophet requested a siwak on his deathbed
The ustadh recounts the narration from Bukhari and Muslim about the Prophet Muhammad, even while on his deathbed, gazing at his brother-in-law's siwak until Aisha understood he wanted it, chewed it to prepare it, and brushed his teeth with it.
"He saw 'Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakr the brother of Aisha He had in his hand a sewak"
Six situations where siwak is highly recommended
The ustadh details six specific occasions where using the siwak is strongly recommended: before prayer, before wudu, on Fridays, when entering the home, when waking at night, and when the breath changes. Each is supported by specific hadith narrations.
"If it wasn't hardship for my Ummah, the Prophet said, I would have instructed them, I would have commanded them to use the Siwak for all of their Salah."
Modern toothbrush also counts as siwak
The ustadh clarifies a common misconception that siwak only refers to the traditional Arak twig, explaining that the modern toothbrush also falls under the concept of siwak since both serve the purpose of cleaning the mouth.
"A lot of people don't know that. But yes, it does fall under it. Because both of them, what? They both clean the mouth. So the toothpaste, the toothbrush, all of them, they fall under the concept of siwak."
