998 - أدَبُ السِّواكِ‏

998. Etiquette of Brushing Teeth

3187.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : اِستاكُوا عَرضاً ولا تَستاكُوا طُولاً .¹

3187.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Brush your teeth in a horizontal manner and not in a vertical manner.' ²

3188.بحار الأنوار : كان النبيُّ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله إذا استاكَ استاكَ عَرضاً ، وكانَ يَستاكُ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ ثلاثَ مَرّاتٍ : مَرَّةً قَبلَ نَومِهِ ، ومَرَّةً إذا قامَ مِن نَومِهِ إلى‏ وِردِهِ ، ومَرَّةً قَبلَ خُروجِهِ إلى‏ صلاةِ الصُّبحِ ، وكانَ يَستاكُ بالأراكِ أمَرَهُ بذلك جَبرَئيلُ .³

3188. It is narrated in Bihar al-Anwar that the Prophet (SAWA) used to brush in a horizontal manner whenever he brushed his teeth, and that he would brush his teeth thrice every night: once before going to bed, once when he would wake up for his night worship, and once before going out to perform the dawn prayer. He used to brush with twigs of Arak (a thorny kind of tree) which the archangel Gabriel had told him to do.' ⁴

3189.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : إنّ السِّواكَ في السَّحَرِ قَبلَ الوُضُوءِ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ .⁵

3189.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'Verily brushing one's teeth at dawn before performing the ablution is part of recommended prophetic practice.' ⁶