What better method for dental care and health can there be than the Miswaak (twig from a tree) ordered by the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)?
While other Halaal substitutes like toothpaste and toothpowder can be used, nothing is an adequate substitute for the Miswaak. Even non-Muslim medical experts have discovered (1400 years after the Muslims!) the health benefits of the Miswaak:
USA Today, Mar 6 2000, had this to say: “Chewing sticks (Miswaaks), used for oral hygeine for thousands of years in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, clean teeth and prevent plaque as effectively as toothbrushes, scientists say. (In fact, the Miswaak doesn’t have the potentially harmful chemicals that toothpates have and which can damage teeth enamel) Researchers from the University of Illinois, Chicago and the University of Tygerberg, South Africa, investigated chewing sticks. They isolated six natural chemical compounds that showed anti-micrbial activity and may help kill oral pathogens resposible for tooth and gum disease.”
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told us the following benefits of Miswaak 1400 years before researchers with advanced equipment could do so:
- It whitens and brightens the teeth
- It eliminates phlegm
- It assists digestion
- It ensures death with Imaan (Islamic faith).
