The One Who Values Miswak
There are many Sunan in Wudu and each Sunnah is a source of blessings. As an example consider Miswak. Even children know that use of Miswak in Wudu is Sunnah and see what a lot of benefits are associated with this Sunnah! A businessman says, “I met a newly Muslim in Switzerland and I gifted him a Miswak. He became happy. He kissed the Miswak and then touched it with his eyes. Tears welled up from his eyes. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket, unfolded it, and took out a tiny Miswak, which was approximately two inches in length. He said that when he had embraced Islam, he was given that as a gift; he was using it with great care and then it was nearly finished making him anxious. Allah عزوجل had blesse him to have a gift of Miswak from him. Then he added that he had a persisting infection in his teeth and gums. The dentists had no cure for it. He started to use the Miswak and after a few days, he felt better. He went to see the doctor who was very surprised to see that he was cured. The doctor said that he could not be cured in such a short period of time with the medicine he had prescribed. Just recall carefully what he had used. He pondered and recalled that he had become a Muslim and had recently started to use the Miswak. Due to use of the Miswak, he was blessed and healed. When he showed the Miswak to the doctor, he was stunned.”
To Strengthen Memory
Miswak has many benefits in this world and the Hereafter. Miswak contains many chemical ingredients which protect the teeth from many infections. Hadrat-e-Sayyiduna ‘Ali رضی الله عنہ and Hadrat-e-Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas رضی الله عنہ state, “Use of Miswak strengthen memory and eyesight, cures headaches and relieves the veins in the head, eliminates sputum, improves digestion, increases brain power, increases birth rate, delays aging and strengthens the back.” (Hashiya -tut-Tahtawi, P28)
Three Ahadis about Miswak
- Whenever the Holy Prophet صلی الله علیہ وسلم would enter his blessed home, he would use the Miswak first. (Sshih Muslim, Vol-1, P128, Afghanistan)
- Whenever the Exalted Prophet صلی الله علیہ وسلم would wake up from his sleep, he would use the Miswak. (Abu Dawud, Vol-1, P36, Hadis 57, Dar Ihya-ul-Turas-il-‘Arabi)
- Make use of Miswak necessarily because it cleans your mouth and pleases Allah عزوجل. (Musnad Imam Ahmad, Vol-2, P438, Hadis 5869, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut)
Cure for Blisters in the Mouth
Physicians have stated, “Sometimes blisters develop in the mouth due to warmth or acidity of the stomach and result in spread of particular type of germs in the mouth. To cure this infection, chew a fresh Miswak and circulate the saliva thus formed in your mouth for a few minutes. By doing this, several patients have been cured.”
Harmful Effects of Toothbrush
According to research, 80% of inllnesses are caused due to dirty teeth or poor stomach. Sometimes the teeth are not cleaned properly and therefore many germs grow in the gums. These germs spread up to the stomach and cause different infections. Remember! The tooth-brush is not an alternative to the Miswak. Experts have concluded that:
- After the toothbrush has been used once, germs settle on the brush and do not remove away even by washing the brush. Instead they multiply in the brush.
- The toothbrush destroys the natural bright coating of the teeth.
- Use of tooth brush dislocate gums gradually thus causing gaps in between the gums and the teeth, making it easy for the food particles to stuck in the cavities. These particles rot and germs grow there. As a result, infections of eyesight in addition to other deseases take place. Eyesight goes wead and sometimes culminates into blindness.
Do you know how to use Miswak?
You may think that I have been using the Miswak for several years but my teeth and stomach are still disturbed.
Guilty is yours and not that of Miswak. To my (writer of this book) approximation, there may be one among millions who performs Miswak according to its guidelines. Most of us just rub the Miswak haphazardly on our teeth while performing Wudu. It may be said that we performs “a custom of Miswak” and not the “Sunnah of Miswak”.
Fourteen Pearls of Miswak
- Thickness of Miswak should be equal to the little finger.
- Miswak should not be longer than a hand span otherwise satan will sit on it.
- The bristles of the Miswak should be soft. Hard bristles will cause a gap between the gums and teeth.
- If MIswak is fresh then its good; otherwise soak it in a glass of water until it becomes soft.
- Cut the bristles everyday. The bristles are effective only when they contain bitterness.
- Rub the Miswak over the width of your teeth.
- Use the Miswak three times.
- Wash it each time.
- Hold the Miswak in your right hand with your little finger under the Miswak, the middle three fingers gripping it and the thumb towards the bristle end of Miswak.
- First clean the top right now of the teeth then top left row. Then clean the bottom right row and then the bottom left row of the teeth.
- There is a risk of enlargement of the spleen of a person who uses Miswak while laying on bed/ground.
- To perform Miswak while holding in first, there is a risk of piles disease.
- Miswak is preceding Sunnah for Wudu but if one has fouling breath, using Miswak is Sunnat-e-Muakkadah.
(Fatawa-e-Razaviyyah, Vol-1, P223, Raza Foundaion) - Don’t throw away the used bristles or used Miswak. Instead, place it at a safer place e.g. bury under the ground or sink into the sea etc. as it is sacred, being tool for acting upon a Sunnah.
(For further information please study part 2, page 17 and 18 of Bahar-e-Shari’at)
How to use Miswak by Murshid Ameer e Ahle Sunnat
How to use Miswak see in this video with English subtitles.