to use the siwāk for every ablution.’” The ḥadith therefore shows that employing the siwāk at the time of wuḍūʾ is emphatically recommended, and it should be done while rinsing the mouth, for that is more effective in removing impurities and cleansing the oral cavity.

The recommendation is likewise stressed before every prayer, obligatory or supererogatory, because when drawing near to Allah we are commanded to present ourselves in a state of perfection and cleanliness, thereby manifesting the honor of worship.

The siwāk is also especially encouraged upon waking from sleep—by night or by day—for whenever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) rose during the night he would scrub his mouth with the siwāk; “to scrub” here means to rub it thoroughly. Sleep alters the breath as vapors rise from the stomach, and in this situation the siwāk removes their traces from the mouth.

It is equally emphasized whenever the breath changes because of eating or the like, and before reciting the Quran, so that the mouth may be clean and fragrant for the recitation of Allah’s words.

As for the manner of using it, one should pass the twig over the gums and teeth, beginning on the right side and moving to the left, while holding the siwāk in the left hand.

Among the distinctive features with which our noble religion has honored us are the traits of the fiṭrah mentioned in the ḥadith. They are called the traits of fiṭrah (primordial disposition) because whoever practices them conforms to the natural state upon which Allah created His servants, exhorted them to uphold, and deemed desirable for them, so that they may be