بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم
The Creator of the universe presented the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a perfect example and the best model. This is because he (peace be upon him) is a complete guide and exemplary model for all humanity, an embodiment of knowledge and action, and the best of mankind. He (peace be upon him) did not merely guide the Ummah through his saving teachings and instructions; rather, he (peace be upon him) acted upon his teachings himself, showing people that knowledge and information alone are not sufficient for salvation and success; action is also necessary.
Thus, the Imam of the Prophets, the beloved of the Almighty, (peace be upon him) so emphasized the use of Miswak (tooth stick) in his life that, according to the narrations of the Companions, he (peace be upon him) adhered to it in every condition, whether it was morning or evening, a state of health and well-being, or a time of illness and disease. It is narrated that the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the daughter of Siddiq Akbar, Sayyidatina Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa, was asked, "When the Leader of the Universe (peace be upon him) entered the house, what was the first thing he (peace be upon him) did? What work did he (peace be upon him) begin with?" She replied, "Whenever he (peace be upon him) entered the house, the first thing he (peace be upon him) did was use Miswak."
Shuraih bin Hani said: I asked Aisha: "With what did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) begin when he entered his house?" She said: "With the Miswak."
He (peace be upon him) used Miswak whenever he woke up from sleep, day or night. As Hazrat Aisha narrates that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) would use Miswak before performing ablution whenever he woke up from sleep, whether at night or during the day. Aisha said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would not sleep during the night or day and wake up without using Miswak before performing ablution."
Similarly, Hazrat Hudhaifa narrates that when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would get up for Tahajjud (night prayer) at night, he (peace be upon him) would clean his mouth with Miswak.
Hudhaifa said: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up for Tahajjud at night, he would clean his mouth with Miswak."
Furthermore, in a narration, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) states: "I saw myself using Miswak in a dream; during this time, two men came to me, one of them was older than the other. I wanted to give the Miswak to the younger one, but I was told:
Give it to the older one, so I gave it to the older one." Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I saw myself in a dream using Miswak, then two men came to me, one of them was older than the other, and I gave the Miswak to the younger one, but I was told: Give it to the older one, so I gave it to the older one."
The emphasis on Miswak in the Prophet's life was such that he (peace be upon him) did not neglect it even in severe illness and during his final illness. In a narration in Bukhari Sharif, Sayyidah Aisha narrates that the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) occurred in my house, on my day, and he (peace be upon him) was leaning against my chest. When he (peace be upon him) became ill, we (the wives) used to pray for his health. Even in this illness, I began to pray for him (peace be upon him), but he (peace be upon him) was saying (and his head was raised towards the sky), "In the Highest Company, In the Highest Company." During this time, Hazrat Abdul Rahman bin Abu Bakr came, and he had a fresh twig in his hand. The Prophet (peace be upon him) looked at it, and I understood that he (peace be upon him) wanted to use Miswak; so I took that twig from him, chewed it first, then cleaned it and gave it to him. He (peace be upon him) used Miswak with it as well as he used to use it before, even better than that. Then he (peace be upon him) gave that Miswak to me, and his hand drooped, or (the narrator stated that) the Miswak fell from his hand. Thus, Allah Almighty brought together my saliva and his (peace be upon him) saliva on that day, which was the last day of his (peace be upon him) worldly life and the first day of the afterlife."
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died in my house and on my day, and between my chest and my neck. When he was ill, one of us would seek refuge for him with prayer. So I went to seek refuge for him, and he raised his head to the sky and said: "In the Highest Company, In the Highest Company." And Abdul Rahman bin Abu Bakr passed by with a fresh twig in his hand, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) looked at him, and I thought that he needed it, so I took it, chewed its head, shook it, and gave it to him. He used it as well as he had ever used it, then he gave it to me, and his hand fell, or it fell from his hand. Thus, Allah brought together my saliva and his saliva on the last day of this world and the first day of the Hereafter."
In short, the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) considered Miswak to be a common Sunnah and permanent habit of the prophets and messengers, and by emphasizing Miswak throughout his blessed life, he (peace be upon him) gave a practical invitation to the Ummah that every member of the Ummah should emphasize Miswak with full enthusiasm and zeal and should not be negligent due to mere carelessness and laziness. They should make a habit of Miswak with the intention of following the Sunnah and keeping in mind the virtues of Miswak.
وَفَقَنَا الله
Mufti Sadiq Amin Qasmi