Praise be to Allaah.
Siwaak means cleaning the mouth and teeth with a siwaak, which is the name given to the tool used. The siwaak is a stick or twig used for this purpose.
Siwaak is a method of cleaning the mouth which also earns
the pleasure of Allaah, as is proven in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah 
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Siwaak cleanses the mouth
and pleases the Lord.’”
Use of the siwaak is repeatedly encouraged, as in the
hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who reported that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Were it not for the fact that I did not want to make things
too hard for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak at every
time of prayer.”
Imaam al-Nawawi reported that the respectable scholars were agreed that use of the siwaak is sunnah and is encouraged. One of the signs of its importance is the fact that some of the salaf (early generations of Islam), such as Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, thought that it was obligatory.
Times when use of siwaak is recommended
Siwaak is recommended at all times of night and day, because of the general sense of the hadeeth quoted above from ‘Aa’ishah, “Siwaak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord.” The scholars have also mentioned situations where use of the siwaak is even more strongly encouraged. These include:
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When making wudoo’ and at times of prayer.
The
Prophet -
When entering one's home to be with one’s family.
‘Aa’ishah was asked what the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Were it not for the fact that I did not want to make
things too hard for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the
siwaak at every time of prayer.” According to another report he said:
“…at every time of making wudoo’” – as already stated above.
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did when he first came home.
She said, “When he entered his house, the first thing he would do was to
use the siwaak.” When getting up from sleep
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) got up during the night, he
would clean his mouth thoroughly with the siwaak. (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 1/98 and Muslim, 1/220)
When the smell of one’s mouth changes
When going to the mosque
When reading Qur’aan and joining gatherings in which Allaah is remembered (dhikr), because the angels are present on such occasions.
Using siwaak when fasting
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) are agreed
that there is nothing wrong with using siwaak during the day when one is
fasting, but they differed with regard to using it after noon, which some of
them disliked (regarded as makrooh). The correct view is that it is sunnah for
one who is fasting, just as it is for anyone else, because of the general
sense of the reports which prove that it is sunnah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not make any exceptions or
state any specific time, and a statement that is general in nature should
continue to be taken as general unless there is evidence to indicate that it
is specific in application. The hadeeth used as evidence to forbid using
siwaak after noon is attributed to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be
pleased with him), who is quoted as saying that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “When you fast, use siwaak
in the morning but do not use it in the afternoon.”
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to the use of the
hadeeth “The odour that comes from the mouth of the fasting person is better
in the sight of Allaah than the scent of musk” (reported by
al-Bukhaari, 2/29 and Muslim, 2/806) as evidence, this mouth
odour will not be dispelled by use of siwaak because it is caused by the
stomach being empty, and it could occur early in the day if a person has not
eaten suhoor. All the scholars are agreed that it is permissible for a fasting
person to use siwaak early in the day. This shows that use of siwaak is
encouraged even when fasting, and there is no difference between using it
early in the day or later on.
What should be used for siwaak (cleaning the mouth)
The scholars are agreed that the best thing for cleaning
the mouth is the twigs of the araak tree, because of its good smell, and
because it has brush-like fibres which are effective for cleaning food
particles etc. from between the teeth, and because of the hadeeth of
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “I
used to gather siwaak sticks from the araak tree for the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).”
If araak twigs are not available, the scholars recommended using palm-leaf stalks, or twigs of the olive tree. The ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning this, however, are not saheeh.
The correct view is that any kind of sticks that are cleansing and not harmful may be used instead of siwaak, if it is not available, to clean the mouth and remove dirt from the teeth. This includes modern toothbrushes which are known to be beneficial in this regard.
Things that may not be used for siwaak
The scholars have stated that it is forbidden to use poisonous sticks, things that are not taahir (pure, clean), and anything that may cause bleeding, illness or any other harm.
Attributes of siwaak
The fuqaha’ have described the siwaak as a stick of medium length and thickness, no thicker than one’s little finger, and free of knots. It should not be so wet that it will twist, because then it will not remove dirt, nor should it be so dry that it will hurt the mouth or crack during use. No doubt this is describing the ideal, otherwise the reports do not specify any particular type of siwaak. It is permissible to use any kind of siwaak that will do the job.
How to clean the mouth with siwaak
The scholars have differed as to whether siwaak should be
done with the right hand or the left hand. One group – the majority –
think that it is better to use the right hand, because of the general meaning
of the hadeeth narrated by ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who
said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to start with the right when putting on
his shoes, dismounting (from his camel), when cleaning himself, and in all
things.” (Agreed upon). (They also say that) siwaak is an act of worship and
drawing closer to Allaah, so it should not be done with the left hand.
Other scholars say that it is better to use the left hand for siwaak, because it comes under the heading of removing dirt. This is the well-known opinion of Imaam Ahmad’s madhhab, and it is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy on him.
Some scholars have said that when a person is using siwaak with the intention of following the sunnah, he should use his right hand, and if he is doing it to remove dirt, he should use his left hand. The fact of the matter is that this issue is open, as there is no definitive daleel or report, and every opinion has a valid point.
The fuqaha’ suggested that when using siwaak, a person should start on the right, and use a side-to-side motion rather than up-and-down, as the latter may harm the gums. Among the etiquette of using siwaak, they mentioned the following:
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That a person should not use the siwaak in front of others or in public, because this is impolite.
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That the siwaak should be washed after use, to get rid of any dirt that may be on it. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to use siwaak, then he would give it to me to
wash it. I would use it first, then wash it and give it back to him.”
(Reported by Abu Dawood, 1/45). -
The siwaak should be kept in a clean place.
Using one’s fingers to clean one's mouth
The scholars differ as to whether it is acceptable to use one’s fingers to clean one’s mouth when there is nothing else available. The correct view is that using the fingers cannot be considered as a substitute for the sunnah action, because there is no basis in Islam for doing so, and this method does not clean the mouth as a siwaak or similar instrument does. Modern methods of cleaning the teeth, like toothbrushes and so on, that remove dirt and make the mouth smell good, are acceptable.
There is nothing wrong with using siwaak that is flavoured with mint, lemon and so on, so long as they do not cause any harm. But a person who is fasting should avoid using any flavoured siwaak, and should only use natural siwaak when he is fasting.
And Allaah knows best.
Lisaan al-‘Arab (definition of sawaka); al-Majmoo’ li’l-Nawawi, 1/269; Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj li’l-Ramli, 1/162; Haashiyat Ibn ‘Aabineen, 1/78; Nayl al-Awtaar li’l-Shawkaani, 1/24; al-Mughni li Ibn Qudaamah, 1/78; al-Futoohaat al-Rabaaniyah ‘ala adhkaar al-Nawawi li Ibn ‘Allaan, 3/256; al-Sharh al-Mumti’ li’l-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/137)
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Some Hadith on Siwaak
Narrated Aisha:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Narrated Anas: Allah's Apostle I said, "I have told you repeatedly to (use)
the Siwak. (The Prophet put emphasis on the use of the
Siwak.) (Bukhari Volume: 2, Book Number: 13, Hadith
Number: 13)
Narrated Ibn Abu Mulaika:
Narrated Aisha: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon_him) said: Ten are the acts according to fitrah: clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing up water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, and cleaning one's private parts with water.
The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth. (Muslim Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 0502 )
Narrated Aisha:
Narrated Aisha:
