The Miswaak is a natural tool for brushing the teeth. It is taken from the roots and branches of particular desert trees. It differs from one region to another, but in Arabia and Asia it is taken from the
Medical discoveries:
[Al-Bukhari]"If it were not that it would create hardship for my people, I would have ordered them to use the Miswaak with every ablution and with every prayer." highlighted its importance, saying: 
Furthermore, he
said: "Ten things are part of one’s natural disposition: Trimming the moustache, growing a beard, (using) the Miswaak, sniffing water, cutting the nails, washing hands, plucking armpits, shaving pubic hair, and conserving water." [Muslim]‘Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet
There are many Prophetic narrations that talk about Miswaak. Following are some of them:
recommended Muslims to clean their teeth using a Miswaak every day; especially upon waking up, when performing ablution, before prayer, when reciting the Quran, before sleeping, when entering the house, and when the mouth has a foul odor.The Prophet Muhammad
The Prophetic guidance:
The Miswaak was known before Islam, but Islam added a religious perspective to its usage..
Its scientific name is Salvadora Persica. It is a tree that grows in hot equatorial countries, especially in desert valleys. It is widespread in the South of
The Miswaak is also obtained from other trees. In Africa, for example, it is cut from Lime and Orange trees, and in
Salvador Persica is an upright evergreen small tree or shrub, seldom more than one foot in diameter, reaching a maximum height of three meters. The leaves are small, oval, thick and succulent with a strong smell of cress or mustard.
As the used, it has been scientifically studied. The following summarize the various discoveries regarding Miswaak.
Health effects of Miswaak:
Physically, the Miswaak is a natural toothbrush. It is composed of a compact group of minute natural fibers that perform exactly the same function as a normal toothbrush except that it is made of natural rather than plastic fibers. For this reason it may be more gentle on the gums.
Miswaak's natural toothpaste is made up of many substances that are important for cleaning teeth. Many researchers have studied the Miswaak in depth, and have proven that Miswaak contains over ten different natural chemical compounds considered essential for good oral and dental hygiene.
They are: fluoride, silica, tannic acid, resins, alkaloids (salvadorine), volatile oils (sinigrin), sulfur vitamin C, sodium bicarbonate, chlorides, calcium, benzylisothiocyanate (BIT), and others including salicylic acids, sterols, trimethylamine, saponins, flavenoids.
Some of these components are stain removers and teeth whiteners, some protect teeth against caries, some are bactericidal and antiseptic, some help in healing and to repair tissues, some promote remineralization (building) of tooth enamel, and some give the pleasant taste and smell.
Cytotoxicity:
Results of cytotoxictests showed no cytotoxic (cell damaging) effects from using freshly cut Miswaak. However, the same plant used 24 hours after cutting did contain harmful components. Based on these findings, researchers recommend cutting the used portion of the Miswaak after it has been used for a day and preparing a fresh part.
Scientific comparison between Miswaak and toothbrushes:
A clinical trial study on Ethiopian schoolchildren, comparing Miswaak with the conventional toothbrush, found Miswaak to be as effective as the toothbrush in removing oral deposits. The study also found instruction and supervision to be important since the children in the sample were not familiar with techniques for using Miswaak.
How to use Miswaak:
The method of preparing a Miswaak for use is to cut a branch or root of the
Fresh Miswaak is brown in color, with a hot, pleasant taste. People usually strip off some of the Miswaak's thin bark from one end, then chew that end a little to separate the fibers so that they become like the fibers of a normal toothbrush. They then use it to brush their teeth.
Length and diameter:
A length of 15cm is recommended, which is convenient to grip, and easy to manipulate in a confined space. The diameter is normally less than 1 centimeter, which provides a supple stick firm enough to transmit the pressure of the cleansing action to the teeth without breaking.
Freshness: Miswaak should be freshly cut so that it is supple, easily chewed, and still rich in active constituents. The root should be whitish-brown in color; a dark brown color indicates that the Miswaak is no longer fresh.
If a stick is dry, the end for chewing should initially be soaked in fresh water for 24 hours. It should be noted that soaking for unduly long periods causes loss of active constituents and diminishes the therapeutic properties, although the mechanical effects on the teeth can still occur.
The end: Before Miswaak is used, the end should be washed with water. It is then chewed repeatedly until the fibers stand out like the bristles of a toothbrush. These fibers should be trimmed every 24 hours.
Brushing technique:
The techniques employed for removing plaque mechanically are similar to that for the toothbrush and the chewing stick; i.e., vertical and horizontal brushing. The cleaning movement should always be directed away from the gingival margin of the teeth (away from the gums) on both the buccal (outer cheek) and lingual (inner cheek) surfaces.
Care should be taken to avoid damaging the soft tissues of the mouth. Satisfactory cleaning can be achieved if this procedure is followed for five minutes.
There are two basic holds: Pen-grip (three-finger) or palm-grip (five finger-grip). In each case the aim is to ensure firm but controlled movement of the brush end of the Miswaak within the oral cavity, so that every area of the mouth is reached with relative ease and convenience.
When to use Miswaak:
In general, the Miswaak should be used a minimum of five times a day (i.e. before each prayer). However it is recommended to use it all the time, whenever possible.
Common mistakes in Miswaak use:
1. The end is either too thin or too thick.
2. Keeping it in the mouth while doing other things.
3. Not cutting the end every day.
4. Forgetting that teeth have five faces (inner, outer, two sides, and biting/chewing face), and only using Miswaak to clean the outer faces.
If speech is blessed by sending blessings upon the Prophet how could Madeenah not have been blessed during his days, while he inhabited it; he, who refreshed its breeze, perfumed its atmosphere and renewed its fragrance; whose scent preceded him to wherever he went and remained after he had left. It was he who was the one by whom Taybah (another name for Madeenah) was blessed in his life, and still is after his death.
Here is Anas ibn Maalik 
saying, "I have never smelled any ambergris, musk nor anything [that is] more pleasant than the smell of the Messenger of Allah ." Small wonder, for Umm Sulaym 
would collect the sweat of the Prophet in a flask and use it as a perfume. In an authentic narration, the Prophet had a siesta in their house (that of Umm Sulaym ), and he sweated; so she brought a bottle and kept extracting his sweat into her bottle. The Prophet then awakened and asked her: "What are you doing, O Umm Sulaym?" She answered, "This is your sweat, we take it as perfume to us, and it is from the best perfumes." By Allah, Umm Sulaym was truthful; for this was indeed the best of perfumes.
Despite the scent that was in his honored body, the Prophet would perfume himself with the best perfume he could find. ‘Aa'ishah also perfumed him with the best of she could find, to the extent that the shine of perfume was seen in his hair and beard.
The life of the beloved Prophet was between two kinds of perfume; a moral perfume, which he carried in his heart and that flowed in his blood, which was the perfume of the revelation, the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) and the Da’wah (call) to worshipping Allah The Almighty. The second was a tangible perfume that emanated from his body and clothes. One wonders: where are those who are morally and tangibly perfumed today? Where are those who are outwardly and inwardly, and secretly and openly imitators and followers of our beloved Prophet ?
The best of the creatures of Allah The Almighty on earth is Prophet Muhammad whom Allah The Almighty made an example and guide to people. Thus, he is an excellent role-model in all things, even in the simplest matters, and he taught those around him without affectation.
Among the things the Companions 
learnt from the Prophet and acted upon was his care for perfume. He always had a fragrant smell about him, which corresponded with his pleasant speech, that the companion may associate and be pleased with him, the straying be guided by him, the ignorant and the seeker of knowledge learn from him, and the seeker of guidance be enlightened by him.
Why would the Prophet not perfume himself, when perfume was among the beloved things to him? Wasn’t he the one who said: "Endeared to me of your worldly life [are] women and perfume." The Prophet was good and liked what was good, and he paid special care to perfume. He had a vessel from which he perfumed himself, and it is said that it was a mixed perfume combined from several materials. It had a strong smell to the extent that if the Prophet passed by a road in Madeenah, people would say, "The Prophet passed from here”, due to the effect of his perfume.
Although he was busy with the affairs of Muslims and in Jihad (struggle) with word and sword, the Prophet did not neglect to speak about perfume and what is the best of it. He said: "The best perfume is musk." His care to be perfumed was not in vain, but as he was commanded to perform Da’wah (calling to Islam), one of his main duties was to seek to impress himself in the hearts of people and to be pleasing and appealing in their eyes. This was so that they would not despise him and turn away from him and the truth he came with, and is very important for every scholar who concerns himself with conveying the truth to people.
Another cause of the Prophet's laying importance on perfume may be that he sat with the angels and communicated with Allah The Almighty several times in prayer. This was all the more reason for him to perfume himself, as it was revealed to him (what means): {O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.} [Quran 7:31]
