Hygienic Habits
It
is Sunnah (recommended) to use a
fresh and harmless Toothstick (small twig) absolutely (in all times),[1]
except for a person who is observing fast, after the zenith, because it is
offensive for him;[2]using
a dry toothstick is Sunnah
(recommended) for him though green is permissible too, before zenith.[3]
Whoever brushed the teeth without a tooth-stick, did not achieved the true Sunnah.[4]
Using toothstick is more emphasized, when making Wudhu (ablution), before Salat and recitation of the Quran, waking
up from sleep and on changing of mouth-smell; likewise when entering Masjid and
home; keeping silent for long time and when the teeth turns pale.[5]
There is no harm if a tooth-stick is used by two or more persons.[6] It is Sunnah (recommended) to shave the hair around the private parts[7], depilating the hair under armpit, trimming the nails, looking at the mirror, using perfume, applying Kohl (eye-lashes) in the eyes, every night three lashes in each eye, trimming moustache close to the roots, leaving the beard to grow, while shaving beard is forbidden, there is no harm to trim what is longer than a fistful. Circumcision is an obligatory requirement for a man and a woman after puberty.[8]
[1] SUNNAH OF SIWAK (Tooth stick)
Mouth is the gate of
stomach, while teeth are the guards of this gate. Healthier the teeth, better
the security. Cleaning teeth is recommended by all the Prophets of Allah, so it
is liked in all civilizations. However the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) greatly emphasized on cleaning teeth. As the
following hadiths mention:
Abu Bakr (May Allah be
pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ”Siwak cleans the mouth and it is a source
of Lord’s pleasure.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.62]
Abdullah bin Umar (May
Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ”Using Siwak is binding on you because it
cause mouth to smell sweet and it is a source of Lord’s pleasure.” [Musnad Imam
Ahmad: H.5865]
Abdullah bin Abbas (May
Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ”I have been commanded to use Siwak. Even I
thought that Quran will be revealed with this commandment.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.2125]
[2] USING SIWAK AFTER ZENITH WHILE FASTING IS OFFENSIVE
The official position of the Hanbali madhab is that using siwak
after zenith is offensive for one who is fasting because the smell coming out
of mouth due to empty stomach is liked by Allah Almighty, while using siwak
removes this smell.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said: “By Him in Whose Hands my
soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in
the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting
person), 'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake.”
[Sahih Bukhari:H.1894, Sahih Muslim:H.1151]
[3] USING SIWAK BEFORE ZENITH WHILE FASTING
IS SUNNAH
Cleaning teeth with siwak is allowed before zenith
because the specific smell of empty stomach comes out from mouth after zenith
generally. Still it is recommended that the siwak must be dry, though using
green (fresh) siwak is permissible as well for the following general Hadiths:
Amir bin Rabiah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he saw many times the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
cleaning his teeth with siwak while he was fasting. [Musnad Imam Ahmad:
H.15766]
Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “ The best habit of a
fasting person is using siwak.”
[Sunan Ibni Majah:H.1677]
It is notable that these Hadiths are
general in meanings, while the Hadith of Abu Hurairah mentioned in foot not
note no.2 is specific and confines the meanings of these general hadiths.
Moreover, the scholars of Hadith unanimously agree on the authenticity of Abu
Hurairah’s Hadith, that is stronger in chain than the said general hadiths.
[4] In the time of Prophet of Allah (ﷺ)
there were used different methods to clean the teeth including tooth powders,
siwak, bark and cloth etc, but he (ﷺ)
adopted siwak. So just cleaning the teeth by any means does not equate the
Sunnah of Siwak. This is not just a Sunnah of Aadat (habitual), as he has
strongly recommended it by his words. Whatever he commanded or recommended is
part of Shariah, it is not mere an innate habit.
[5] RECOMMENDED TIMES OF USING SIWAK
Whenever
a person cleans his teeth by siwak as an asct of Sunnah, he is rewarded.
However, there are certain specific times that are more emphasized. Among these
recommended times are the following:
WHILE MAKING WUDHU
Abu
Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said: “Were it not hard on my ummah, I would order
them to use the siwak with each Wudhu.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.7406]
Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that whenever the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) lay
down and woke up, in the day or night, he used to cleanse his mouth with tooth
stick before Wudhu.
[Musnad Imam Ahmad:
H.25412, Sunan Abu Dawood:H.57]
Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A prayer offered after using Siwak is
seventy times greater than the prayer offered without using it.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad:
H.26871]
Tammam bin Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated
that some people came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he said: “Why I see
you coming to me with pale teeth? Use Siwak. Were it not hard on my
ummah, I would make it obligatory for them to use the siwak as I made wudhu
(ablution) obligatory for them.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.1835]
BEFORE SALAAH:
If a person has made ablution and HIS Wudhu is
still ok, so he wants to offer the next prayer without performing Wudhu again,
he is recommended to clean teeth with siwak.
Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhanni
(May Allah be pleased with him):
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Were it not hard
on my ummah, I would order them to use the siwak at the time of every prayer.
Abu Salamah said: Zayd ibn Khalid used to attend the prayers in the mosque with
his tooth-stick on his ear where a clerk carries a pen, and whenever he got up
for prayer he used it.
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.22026, Sunan Abu Dawood:H.47]
Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibban asked Abdullah ibn
Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) about the reason for Ibn Umar's performing ablution
for every prayer, whether he was with or without ablution.
He replied: Asma', daughter of Zayd ibn al-Khattab,
reported to me that Abdullah ibn Hanzalah ibn AbuAmir narrated to her that the
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was
earlier commanded to perform ablution for every prayer whether or not he was
with ablution.
When it became a burden for him, he was ordered to
use tooth-stick for every prayer. As Ibn Umar thought that he had the strength
(to perform the ablution for every prayer), he did not give up performing
ablution for every prayer.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.48]
These Hadiths recommend cleansing one’s teeth with
siwak before entering Masjid.
ON WAKING UP
Hudhaifah bin Yaman (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when the Apostle of Allaah (ﷺ) got up during the night (to
pray), he cleansed his mouth with the tooth-stick.
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.23631, Sunan Abu Dawood:H.55]
Abdullah bin Ummar (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated
that whenever the Messenger of Allaah
(ﷺ) got up, he started his day
with cleansing his mouth with the tooth-stick.
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.5979]
ON CHANGING OF MOUTH-SMELL
Abdullah bin Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that once two persons came to
the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) with the same need, he (ﷺ) felt smell coming out of one of the persons’ mouth. He (ﷺ) said, “Why don’t you clean
your teeth with tooth-stick?”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.2409]
When a person keeps silent for a long time, the taste and smell of mouth
changes. In this case he is recommended to use Siwak.
ON ENTERING HIS OWN HOUSE
Shuraih (Be His mercy on him) asked 'Ayeshah (May Allah be pleased with
her)
"What would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do
as soon as he entered the house?" She replied: "(He would use) the
siwak."
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: H.24645, Sunan Abu Dawood:H.51]
[6] Ayeshah (May Allah be
pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ)
would clean his teeth with the Siwak, then he would give me the Siwak in order
to wash it. So I would first use it myself, then wash it and return it.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.52]
[7] Abu Huraira
(May Allah be pleased with him) reported that
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra:
circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the
moustaches short."
[Sahih Bukhari: H.5889, Sahih Muslim: H.257]
[8] Circumcision for boys is obligatory because it has been narrated through Sunnah Mutawatrah that the Prophet (ﷺ) advised the Muslim boys to be circumcised. Sunnah Mtawatrah indicates Wujoob (obligation.
Narrated Said bin Jubair (Be His mercy on him)
Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) was asked, “How old were you
when the Prophet (ﷺ) died?” He replied. “At that time I had been circumcised.” At
that time, people did not circumcise the boys till they attained the age of
puberty.
[Sahih al-Bukhari: H.6299]
However, circumcising the girls was an Arab tradition and the Prophet (ﷺ) neither recommended nor forbade this traditional practice. So in my personal opinion circumcising girls is permissible, but not obligatory.
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