The Miswak: Its Virtue and Ruling

Question:
The first message in this episode is from the Holy City of Madinah, sent by the listener Abdulmun'im Bashir Muhammad Ali. Brother Abdulmun'im says: We all know the virtue of the miswak, and we know the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) which says: But I observe, O Shaykh, that many people do not pay attention to the cleanliness of the miswak, nor do they pay attention to the times when it is recommended to use it. For example, they use it after the imam has said the opening takbir, and they use it during the sermon. I ask you to please guide people regarding the appropriate times for using the miswak? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet and Imam Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
The hadiths regarding the virtue of the miswak and the encouragement to use it are authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Among them is what the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhari and Muslim, narrated in the two Sahihs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: This indicates the emphasis on the miswak and its prescription; because he (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged it and urged people to it. He intended the command of obligation, meaning: I commanded it as a command of obligation. Otherwise, the command of recommendation is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) with what indicates its recommendation and prescription.
Among them is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Al-Nasa'i and others narrated it with a sound chain. And among them is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And among them is what is established in Sahih Muslim from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "He (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin with the miswak when he entered his house (peace and blessings be upon him). He would use the miswak frequently (peace and blessings be upon him). And when he would get up at night, he would scrub his mouth with the miswak." The two Shaykhs narrated it from the hadith of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) .
The hadiths on this matter are numerous, indicating the prescription of the miswak and its recommendation. It is emphasized in prayer before the imam says the takbir. One should use the miswak before the takbir. The Sunnah is to use the miswak in prayer before the takbir. So when the imam says the takbir, one should hasten and say the takbir after him.
Likewise, during the gargling in the ablution, at the beginning of the ablution. And likewise when entering the house. And likewise when the mouth and teeth change, it is recommended to use the miswak to remove the bad smell from the mouth, and to achieve the cleaning of the teeth thereby. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This includes the fasting person and the non-fasting person, at the end of the day, and at its beginning, and at night and day.
Some scholars have held that it is disliked at the end of the day for the fasting person, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): They said: The miswak removes this bad breath, or lightens it. The correct view is that it is not disliked for the fasting person at the end of the day, but rather it is recommended constantly; because he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
This includes the fasting person and the non-fasting person, and includes the Dhuhr and Asr prayers for the fasting person and the non-fasting person. For this reason, the bad breath does not go away, but rather it remains; because the bad breath is something that rises from the stomach in the case of the fasting person, so the miswak does not remove it, but rather after removing the miswak, this bad breath rises, which is preferred by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) .
Then, the news of the bad breath is specific in meaning, requiring the encouragement of the fasting person to fast, and the explanation of the virtue of fasting, and that it has a great status with Allah, and it does not prevent the issue of the miswak.
So what is prescribed for every believer is to pay attention to the miswak as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) prescribed it through His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and to be eager for it to revive the Sunnah, to magnify it, and to encourage it, so that others may follow his example.
And likewise the rest of the Sunnahs, such as the Witr prayer, which is emphasized between the Isha prayer and the dawn. It is recommended for the believer to pray Witr in travel and residence. Its minimum is one rak'ah, and it has no upper limit, but its minimum is one rak'ah. If one prays Witr with three or five or more, his reward is greater. The best is to pray Witr with the Witr of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), eleven or thirteen. If one prays Witr with less or more, there is no harm in that. And likewise the Duha prayer is a confirmed Sunnah, and its minimum is two rak'ahs. If one prays more, there is no harm. Thus, the Sunnah of Dhuhr... the Sunnah of Maghrib... the Sunnah of Isha... the Sunnah of Fajr.
And likewise the rest of the Sunnahs. The Sunnah of Dhuhr is four before it and two after it, meaning: two taslams before it, and the Sunnah is two rak'ahs after it. The Sunnah of Maghrib is two rak'ahs after it. The Sunnah of Isha is two rak'ahs after it. The Sunnah of Fajr is two rak'ahs before it. It is recommended to pray four before Asr, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): meaning from two taslams. And it is recommended to pray two rak'ahs before every prayer, before Maghrib... before Isha, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): .
And likewise visiting the sick, responding to the sneezer if he praises Allah, beginning with the greeting, and spreading the greeting, advising the Muslims, following the funerals, and praying over the funerals. All of these are great Sunnahs that the believer should pay attention to.
And likewise voluntary charity, even with half a date, and calling to good, and encouraging it, and guarding the tongue from unnecessary speech that has no benefit, and other things that the believer should pay attention to. Yes.

The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. The Shaykh mentioned that some people use the miswak after the imam has said the takbir to begin the prayer, and during the sermon?

The Shaykh : The warning about this has been given. The Sunnah is to use the miswak before the imam says the takbir, so that when the imam says the takbir, one hastens to say the takbir, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): So it is recommended for the believer to use the miswak before the takbir of the imam. When one stands for prayer, one uses the miswak, and when one's imam says the takbir, one says the takbir. And likewise on Friday, one does not use the miswak during the sermon, but rather listens and focuses on the sermon, and does not use the miswak or fidget, even with the miswak, and does not return the greeting, and does not respond to the sneezer, while the imam is delivering the sermon. Rather, one focuses on the imam's sermon, listens to it, and pays attention to it, and keeps one's heart present so that one benefits. Yes.

The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.