Maintenance of Health (4/4)

15. Be careful about dental hygiene and protect your teeth. Clean teeth keep you fresh, produce a good effect on digestion and cleanliness makes the teeth firm too. Form the habit of cleaning your teeth with a miswak (twig); use dental powder also. Don't spoil your teeth by too frequent chewing of betel leaf or using-tobacco. Clean your teeth well after every meal.

Unclean teeth cause various diseases. It was customary with the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that on getting up from sleep, he used to clean his teeth with a miswak (twig). [Agreed upon]

  'A'isha (God be pleased with her) states:

“We used to keep the water for ablution and the miswak (twig) ready for the use of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). By the will of God when the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up from sleep he used to clean his teeth with the miswak (twig). Later, he performed ablution and then offered prayers". [Reported by Muslim]

 Anas (God be pleased with him) have reported that the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:

"I have already laid much stress upon the need to clean your teeth with miawak (twig)". [Reported by Bukhari]

'A’isha (God be pleased with her) relates that the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated:

"The miswak (twig) cleans the mouth and the Lord is pleased by this act of cleanliness". [Reported by Nasa'i]

The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:

“Had I not considered it a great inconvenience for my Ummah, I would have enjoined people to brush their teeth with a miswak (twig) before each prayer". [Reported by Abu Dawud]

Some Muslims once came to see the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah he upon him). Their teeth were unclean and were encrusted with yellow grease. Noticing this, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to them: "Your teeth look so yellow! You should clean them with a miswak". [Reported by Musnad Ahmad]

16. When the need arises to answer the call of nature fulfil it promptly. Delay in answering the call of nature affects the brain and the stomach badly.

17. Pay full attention to keeping yourself pure, clean and tidy. The Holy Qur'an says:

"God's favourites are those who take great care in keeping themselves pure and clean". [Surah At-Taubah]

The Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said:

"Cleanliness and purity are the half of Faith".

In view of the great importance of cleanliness and purity, the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given detailed injunctions about neatness and has stressed the need for observing purity and cleanliness in every matter. Keep all articles of food under cover. Protect them from being soiled and keep the flies away. You should have clean utensils. Keep your dress and bedcovers tidy and spotlessly clean. Keep your body clean by performing ablution and taking a bath. Cleanliness of body, neatness of dress and tidiness of all articles of use is refreshing and pleasant for the soul. The body also feels delightfully fresh. On the whole purity and neatness have a salutary effect on human health.

Adi b. Hatim (God be pleased-with him) stated:

"I always remain in state of ablution for each Salat (prayer) since I embraced Islam".

The Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once asked Bilal (God be pleased with him): "How did you manage to reach Paradise before me yesterday?" Bilal (God be pleased with him) submitted: "Whenever I proclaim the call for prayer, I invariably offer two Rak’ats of Salat (prayer) and as soon as I am not in a state of ablution, I perform ablution afresh and try to remain in this state  always".

Abu Huraira (God be pleased with him) reports the Prophet of God (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as having said:

“It is God’s right upon every Muslim that he should take bath once a week and wash his head and body”. [Reported by Bukhari]