The Chapter of Siwak

مَا زَالَ جَبْرَئِيلُ ع يُوصِينِي بِالسِّوَاكِ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ أُحْفِيَ أَوْ أَدْرَدَ[2] وَ مَا زَالَ يُوصِينِي بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ وَ مَا زَالَ يُوصِينِي بِالْمَمْلُوكِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَضْرِبُ لَهُ أَجَلًا يُعْتَقُ فِيهِ. - وَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ وَ مَا زَالَ يُوصِينِي بِالْمَرْأَةِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي طَلَاقُهَا

Hadith.108 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "Archangel Jibril (as) kept advising me about the miswak until I feared I might wear down my teeth or make them fall out. And Archangel Jibril (as) continued to advise me about the neighbor until I thought he would make him an heir. And Archangel Jibril (as) continued to a

نَزَلَ جَبْرَئِيلُ ع- بِالسِّوَاكِ وَ الْحِجَامَةِ وَ الْخِلَالِ[3]

Hadith.109 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: 'Archangel Jibril (as) brought down the practices of using the miswak, cupping (hijama), and flossing (khilal).'.

وَ قَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ أَكْلُ الْأُشْنَانِ يُذِيبُ الْبَدَنَ وَ التَّدَلُّكُ بِالْخَزَفِ يُبْلِي الْجَسَدَ وَ السِّوَاكُ فِي الْخَلَاءِ يُورِثُ الْبَخَرَ[4].

Hadith.110 - Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) said: "Consuming ushnan (a type of cleansing herb) melts the body, scrubbing with pottery wears out the body, and using a siwak in the bathroom causes bad breath”.

أَرْبَعٌ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ التَّعَطُّرُ وَ السِّوَاكُ وَ النِّسَاءُ وَ الْحِنَّاءُ

Hadith.111 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Four practices are from the traditions of the messengers: applying fragrance, using siwak (toothstick), having relations with women, and using henna."

وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِنَّ أَفْوَاهَكُمْ طُرُقُ الْقُرْآنِ فَطَهِّرُوهَا بِالسِّوَاكِ.

Hadith.112 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Your mouths are the pathways of the Quran, so purify them with siwak (toothstick)."

وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص فِي وَصِيَّتِهِ لِعَلِيٍّ ع‌ يَا عَلِيُّ عَلَيْكَ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ وُضُوءِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ.

Hadith.113 - The Prophet (sw), said in his will to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as): "O’ Ali (as), make sure to use siwak (toothstick) before wudu (ablution) for every prayer."

وَ قَالَ ع‌- السِّوَاكُ شَطْرُ الْوُضُوءِ.

Hadith.114 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Siwak (tooth cleaning) is half of wudu (ablution)."

وَ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ ع‌[1]- لَمَّا دَخَلَ النَّاسُ فِي الدِّينِ أَفْوَاجاً أَتَتْهُمُ الْأَزْدُ[2] أَرَقَّهَا قُلُوباً وَ أَعْذَبَهَا أَفْوَاهاً فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ- هَذَا أَرَقُّهَا قُلُوباً عَرَفْنَاهُ‌[3] فَلِمَ صَارَتْ أَعْذَبَهَا أَفْوَاهاً فَقَالَ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَسْتَاكُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.

Hadith.115 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said : "When people entered the religion in large numbers, the tribe of Azd came among them with the softest hearts and the sweetest mouths. It was asked: 'O’ Messenger of Allah (sw), we understand why they have the softest hearts, but why do they have the sweetest mou

وَ قَالَ ع- لِكُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ طَهُورٌ وَ طَهُورُ الْفَمِ السِّوَاكُ.

Hadith.116 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Everything has a means of purification, and the means of purification for the mouth is the siwak (tooth cleaning)."

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص كَانَ يُكْثِرُ السِّوَاكَ وَ لَيْسَ بِوَاجِبٍ فَلَا يَضُرُّكَ تَرْكُهُ فِي فَرْطِ الْأَيَّامِ[4]. وَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَسْتَاكَ الصَّائِمُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَيَّ النَّهَارِ شَاءَ[5] وَ لَا بَأْسَ بِالسِّوَاكِ لِلْمُحْرِمِ وَ يُكْرَهُ السِّوَاكُ فِي الْحَمَّامِ لِأَنَّهُ يُورِثُ وَبَاءَ الْأَسْنَانِ وَ السِّوَاكُ مِنَ الْحَنِيفِيَّةِ وَ هِيَ عَشْرُ سُنَنٍ خَمْسٌ فِي الرَّأْسِ وَ خَمْسٌ فِي ا

Hadith.117 - Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (sw) frequently used siwak (tooth cleaning), but it is not obligatory, so it will not harm you if you leave it for a few days”.

صَلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِسِوَاكٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ رَكْعَةً بِغَيْرِ سِوَاكٍ

Hadith.118 - Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) and Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Two units of prayer performed with siwak (tooth cleaning) are better than seventy units of prayer without siwak."

فِي السِّوَاكِ لَا تَدَعْهُ فِي كُلِّ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ وَ لَوْ أَنْ تُمِرَّهُ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً

Hadith.119 - Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said about the siwak: "Do not neglect it for more than three days, even if you use it just once."

وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ اكْتَحِلُوا وَتْراً وَ اسْتَاكُوا عَرْضاً[5].

Hadith.120 - The Prophet, said: "Apply kohl in an odd number of strokes and use siwak (tooth cleaning) across the width of the mouth”.

وَ تَرَكَ الصَّادِقُ ع السِّوَاكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْبَضَ بِسَنَتَيْنِ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَسْنَانَهُ ضَعُفَتْ.

Hadith.121 - It is reported that Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) stopped using siwak two years before he passed away, as his teeth had weakened.

إِذَا خَافَ الصُّبْحَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

Hadith.122 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) bout a man who uses his hand to clean his teeth when he gets up for the night prayer (Salat Al Layl), even though he has access to siwak. Imam (as) said: "If he fears that dawn is approaching, there is no harm in doing so."

وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ لَوْ لَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ وُضُوءِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ.

Hadith.123 - The Prophet (sw) said: "If it were not burdensome for my community, I would have commanded them to use siwak (tooth cleaning) with each wudu (ablution) before every prayer."

وَ رُوِيَ‌ لَوْ عَلِمَ النَّاسُ مَا فِي السِّوَاكِ لَأَبَاتُوهُ مَعَهُمْ فِي لِحَافٍ.

Hadith.124 - It is narrated: "If people knew what benefits siwak holds, they would keep it with them in their bedding at night."

وَ رُوِيَ‌ أَنَّ الْكَعْبَةَ شَكَتْ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَا تَلْقَى مِنْ أَنْفَاسِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهَا قِرِّي يَا كَعْبَةُ فَإِنِّي مُبْدِلُكِ بِهِمْ قَوْماً يَتَنَظَّفُونَ بِقُضْبَانِ الشَّجَرِ فَلَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- نَبِيَّهُ مُحَمَّداً ص نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ جَبْرَئِيلُ ع بِالسِّوَاكِ.

Hadith.125 - It has been narrated: "The Kaaba complained to Allah (swt), Mighty and Majestic, about the distress it suffered from the breaths of the polytheists. Allah (swt), Exalted be He, revealed to it: 'Calm yourself, O’ Kaaba, for I will replace them with a people who purify themselves with branches of trees.' Whe

فِي السِّوَاكِ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ خَصْلَةً هُوَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ وَ مَطْهَرَةٌ لِلْفَمِ وَ مَجْلَاةٌ لِلْبَصَرِ وَ يُرْضِي الرَّحْمَنَ وَ يُبَيِّضُ الْأَسْنَانَ وَ يَذْهَبُ بِالْحَفْرِ[1] وَ يَشُدُّ اللِّثَةَ وَ يُشَهِّي الطَّعَامَ وَ يَذْهَبُ بِالْبَلْغَمِ وَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْحِفْظِ وَ يُضَاعِفُ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَ تَفْرَحُ بِهِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ

Hadith.126 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Siwak (tooth cleaning) has twelve benefits: it is part of the Sunnah (tradition), purifies the mouth, improves vision, pleases the Merciful, whitens the teeth, removes decay, strengthens the gums, increases appetite, removes phlegm, enhances memory, multiplies g