Good hygiene is extremely important in Islam. It is a prerequisite for performing many acts of worship, and maintaining it can be an act of worship in and of itself. The companion Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Cleanliness is half of faith and Alhamdulillah (the best and highest praises be to Allah) fills the scale, and SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) and Alhamdulillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof [of one's faith], and endurance is a brightness, and the Quran is a proof on your behalf or against you.”
(Sahih Muslim, #223)
Islam is a comprehensive and divinely-structured way of life. In the hadith above, the mentioning of cleanliness in tandem with the glorification and praise of Allah, with the virtues of endurance and charity, and with both the Quran and prayer, is definitely not arbitrary. It strongly underscores the high value of creating, maintaining, and operating in a culture that emphasizes good hygiene. Ideally, no aspect of a Muslim’s existence, including cleanliness, is separate or distinct from the worship of Allah. Even mundane, physical acts, like eating, relieving one’s self, and taking care of one’s personal hygiene all have a spiritual dimension when they are performed with the proper intention and according to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. They are elevated to become acts of worship.
Allah loves for us to be clean. He has said:
“Truly, Allah loves those who turn to him in repentance and those who purify themselves.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 222)
Purification should not be an isolated or random practice; it must be purposeful. It should be cultivated in people while they are still impressionable children. The adults must model hygienic practices for the children and establish a culture of cleanliness. They have to intentionally connect cleanliness and purification to the worship of Allah, the Most High.
The Islamic emphasis on cleanliness is particularly evident in its focus on oral hygiene, the practice of keeping the mouth clean and healthy. The mouth has both a physical and a spiritual significance. Without a physically healthy mouth, it is difficult for us to eat, drink, smile, laugh, or show certain emotions based on facial expressions. Without a healthy mouth, we are unable to enunciate our speech properly.
If the mouth is not clean and healthy, we can develop serious illnesses in the rest of the body that can affect our quality of life. Recent research points to a connection between gum disease and the inflammation accompanying heart attacks, strokes, and other vascular events. The research also shows that oral bacteria appear in the fatty deposits of patients with atherosclerosis, a disease of the arteries. Those deposits, if left untreated, can lead to a narrowing of the arteries or they may break loose and block them, causing a heart attack or stroke.1
Spiritual Aspects of Oral Hygiene
If the mouth is not ‘kept spiritually clean,” the core of the spiritual body, the heart, will also become unhealthy. We can keep the mouth spiritually clean by avoiding the sins of the tongue such as lying, backbiting, and vain talk. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked:
“‘What admits most people into Paradise?’ The Prophet said, ‘Fear of Allah and good character.’ It was asked, ‘What condemns most people to Hellfire?’ The Prophet said, ‘The mouth and the genitals.’”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, #2004)
An unhealthy mouth, like an unhealthy body, can cause us to have a bad end.
The physical condition of the mouth is connected to our worship. After washing the hands in wudu or ablution, the mouth is the next part of the body that the worshiper cleans by rinsing it with pure water. Many acts of worship must be preceded by wudu.
The rinsing of the mouth is also a means for erasing sins. ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah reported the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“None of you approaches ablution and rinses his mouth and nose but that the sins of his face, mouth, and nose fall away….”
(Sahih Muslim, #832)
The mouth is also rinsed after consuming certain foods. Ibn Abbas said:
“Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings upon him, drank milk, rinsed his mouth, explaining that it “has fat.”
(Sahih Bukhari, #211)
Rinsing the mouth is also recommended when eating food that may stick to teeth or leave pieces in the mouth.
Suwayd ibn Nu’man reports that they were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he asked for the meals to be served. He ate sawiq (roasted wheat), and we did so, too. The Prophet then stood up for salat and gargled his mouth. We did the same.
(Bukhari, #5454)
Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“This indicates that it is mustahabb or highly encouraged to rinse out the mouth after drinking milk. Many scholars said by analogy that this recommendation also applies to other kinds of food and drink; it is highly recommended to rinse the mouth to prevent leaving any traces of food that might be swallowed whilst praying.
(Sharh Muslim)
A healthy, clean mouth is also an important aspect of worship because of the ibadah that takes place using it. Samurah ibn Jundub reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Freshen your mouths with the tooth stick. Verily, they [the mouths] are the pathways of the Quran.”
(Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman, #1948)
The “pathway” should be protected so that we can use it to recite Allah’s words with tajweed, which is defined as pronouncing the Quran in the best way by giving each letter its rights. A meticulous pronunciation of the letters of the Quran cannot occur when the reciter’s mouth hurts, or his teeth are missing. In the same way that we should maintain the places of prostration (masjids) and keep them clean, we should also maintain the places of articulation and keep them clean.
A clean mouth during recitation is also important because the angels who normally come close to the reciter are repelled by foul smells. Ali narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“When a servant uses a tooth stick and then stands for the salat, an angel stands behind him and listens to his recitation. The angel then comes so close to him that it places its mouth against the mouth of that person.”
(Musnad Al-Bazzar, Vol 2, p. 614, #603)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who is an excellent example of how we take care of our oral hygiene, was especially meticulous when Angel Jibril came to him. He shared:
“Never did Jibril come to me without commanding me to use the tooth stick, with the result being that I was afraid of chafing the front of my mouth.”
(Musnad Ahmed, #263)
Oral Health through Both Action and Restraint
Our oral hygiene involves doing both prescribed or recommended actions and restraining from actions that are forbidden or discouraged. As mentioned earlier, we are advised to rinse our mouths with pure water, to use a miswak or tooth stick, and to speak well.
Rinsing with Water
The Prophet’s, peace and blessings be upon him, wudu is described by Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman as follows:
“…He cupped his hands (in the container of water) and lifted out water and rinsed his mouth, and he sucked up water into his nostrils from the same handful of water, and he did this three times.”
(Sahih Muslim, #226)
The Prophet also encouraged the rinsing of the mouth by informing followers of its spiritual reward and how it removes sins. ‘Amr bin Abasa Sulami reported:
“…The Apostle of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told me about wudu. He said, ‘There is none of you who uses water for wudu and rinses his mouth, sniffs up water and blows it out, but that the sins of his face, and his mouth and his nostrils drain off. When he washes his face, as Allah has commanded him, the sins of his face drop away from the end of his beard with [the wash] water….’”
(Sahih Muslim, #832)
Using the Miswak
Another blessed oral hygiene practice is using the tooth stick or miswak. The following chart summarizes its use:
About the Breath
The scent that comes from a believer’s mouth may be either pleasing or offensive to other human beings. Muslims try not to offend others, so we should avoid digesting things that could create a foul smell in the mouth. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Whoever has eaten garlic or onion should keep away from us, or should keep away from our mosque and should stay at home.…”
(Sahih Muslim, #564a)
Al-‘Abbas reported that they came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, without having brushed their teeth. The Prophet said:
“You enter upon me with unclean teeth? Go and use the tooth stick. Were it not hardship for my nation, I would have obligated them to use the tooth stick at every prayer, just as I obligated them to perform ablution.”
(Musnad al-Bazzār, 1303)
The Prophet did not forbid eating foods that have a foul smell. He merely ordered people who had eaten malodorous foods to stay away from others and the prayer areas. He himself refused to eat it, however, because he would speak from time to time with angels. Ibn Wahb said:
“A plate full of cooked vegetables was brought to the Prophet, and he detected a bad smell from it. He was informed of the kinds of vegetables in the dish. He disliked eating it and said (to his companion), ‘[You] eat it, for I talk in secret to ones whom you do not talk to.’“
(Sahih Bukhari, #7359)
Foul-smelling breath is not always disliked, however. The breath of the fasting person, while distasteful to many humans, is pleasing to Allah. Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said:
“Allah Almighty said, ‘By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath coming from the mouth of a fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the scent of musk.”
(Sahih Bukhari, #5927)
The Prophet’s Last Act of Hygiene
In the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we not only find an excellent example of how mankind should live but also how we should prepare for death. We learn from his teachings and example that the dying person should be assisted in cleaning his/her mouth and that the oral hygiene of the deceased should be addressed by those shrouding the body. It is the Sunnah to wipe over the front teeth of the deceased with a piece of wet cotton wool.
During his last days, while he was staying with his wife Aisha, Abdurrahman bin Abu Bakr came to visit the Prophet. Aisha was embracing the Prophet on her chest. Abdurrahman was cleaning his own teeth with a fresh miswak. The Prophet, who was gravely ill, looked at it, so Aisha took the miswak, chewed it with her teeth, and softened it with water. She then gave it to the Prophet, who cleaned his teeth with it. She has related:
“I had never seen Allah’s Messenger cleaning his teeth in a better way. After he finished brushing his teeth, the Prophet lifted his hand or his finger and said three times, ‘O Allah! Let me be with the highest companions,’ and then he died. Aisha used to say, ‘He died while his head was resting between my chest and chin.’”
(Sahih Bukhari, #4438)
May Allah bless our Prophet for providing us with an excellent health blueprint to follow.
End Notes and Sources
1 Gum Disease and Heart Disease Link | Penn Medicine
al-Bazzar, Abu Bakr Ahmed (n.d.). Musnad al-Bazzar. al-Risalah al-'Alamiyyah Pub. Damascus.
al-Qazwini, Umar. & Patel, Anisa (2021) The Abridgement of the Branches of Faith (Mukhtasar Shu'ab al-Iman li'l Bayhaqi). Turath Publishing. London.
Owens, J. and Sami, W. (2015) The Role of the Qur'an and Sunnah in Oral Health. Journal of Religion and Health. ISSN 0022-4197
US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General (2000). Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
Candice “Sister Islaah” Abd’al-Rahim reverted to Islam in 1976, and considers herself a student of knowledge. She has deep education credentials which include an M.A. in Teaching, a Certificate of Advanced Studies (Post-Masters) in Administration and Supervision, a B.S. in English, and experiences as a principal (in fact the first hijab public school principal in Maryland!), curriculum and staff developer, mentor, and classroom teacher of grades pre-K through 12. She is a former adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Graduate School of Education and is a doctoral candidate in Islamic Sciences at the International Online University. Islaah’s contributions to the field have earned her honors in the Who’s Who of Distinguished JHU Alumni. She is a wife, daughter, mother, and grandmother and is an active member of several Muslim communities in the Baltimore area
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