[Q 454] Permission of Miswak for Women

QUESTION:

Salam. Are islamic sisters allowed to use miswaak?

ANSWER:

Ji haan, aurat ko bhi miswaak (tooth-stick) istemaal karne ki ijaazat hai (Yes, a woman is also permitted to use miswaak), aur aurat ke liye miswaak karna Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqah رضي الله تعالى عنها ki Sunnah (practice) hai. Chunanche Sunan Abi Dawood mein hai:

”عن عائشة، أنها قالت: «كان نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يستاك، فيعطيني السواك لأغسله، فأبدأ به فأستاك، ثم أغسله وأدفعه إليه“
(Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitaab al-Taharah, Baab Ghusl al-Siwaak, Jild 1, Safha 14, al-Maktabah al-Asriyyah, Beirut)

Translation of the above hadith’s Urdu meaning given in the answer:
Hazrat Ayesha رضي الله تعالى عنها said: “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم would use the miswaak, then he would give it to me so I could wash it. I would begin by using it myself, then wash it and return it to him.”

Albatta (however), aurat ke liye mustahab (recommended) hai ke woh miswaak ke bajaaye doosri narm cheezein, maslan missi (tooth powder) ke zariye daant saaf kare, kyunke auraton ke daant mardon ke muqable mein kamzor hote hain, aur miswaak par muwazibat (constant practice) unke daanton ko aur kamzor kar degi. Aur missi ya kisi powder ke zariye daant saaf karte waqt agar sawab ki niyyat ho to miswaak ka sawab bhi milta hai, kyunke aurat ke liye yeh cheezein sawab ke maamle mein miswaak ke qaaim-maqaam hain.

Aurat ke liye miswaak par qudrat hone ke bawajood gond (chewing gum type resin jo daant mazboot aur saaf karne ke liye chabayi jaati hai) ke istemaal ke mutalliq Durr-e-Mukhtar ma‘a Radd al-Muhtar mein hai:

“(يقوم العلك مقامه للمرأة مع القدرة عليه) أي في الثواب إذا وجدت النية، وذلك أن المواظبة عليه تضعف أسنانها فيستحب لها فعله”
(Durr al-Mukhtar ma‘a Radd al-Muhtar, Kitaab al-Taharah, Sunan al-Wudhu, Jild 1, Safha 115, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut)

Translation of the above:
“For a woman, chewing gum (resin) takes the place of miswaak even if she has the ability to do miswaak — meaning in reward if the intention is present. This is because constant use of miswaak weakens her teeth, so it is mustahab (recommended) for her to do this.”

Malfoozat-e-A‘la Hazrat mein hai:
“Un (auraton) ke liye (miswaak karna) Umm al-Mu’mineen Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqah رضي الله تعالى عنها ki Sunnah hai, lekin agar woh na karein to haraj (problem) nahin. Unke daant aur masoode mardon ke muqable mein kamzor hote hain. (Un ke liye) missi yaani dandasah kaafi hai.”

(Malfoozat-e-A‘la Hazrat, Safha 357, Maktaba tul Madinah)

Fatawa Razawiyyah mein hai:
“Miswaak maujood ho to ungli se daant maanjna adaa-e-sunnah aur husool-e-sawab ke liye kaafi nahin. Haan, miswaak na ho to ungli ya khurkhura kapra adaa-e-sunnah kar dega, aur auraton ke liye miswaak maujood ho jab bhi missi kaafi hai.”

(Fatawa Razawiyyah, Jild 1, Safha 810, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Miraat al-Manajeeh mein Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi رحمۃ الله عليه likhte hain:
“Auraton ke liye mustahab yeh hai ke bajaye miswaak, sikra, missi istemaal karein, ya ungli se daant saaf karein, kyunke unke masoode kamzor hote hain.”

(Miraat al-Manajeeh, Jild 1, Safha 278, Naeemi Kutub Khana, Gujarat)

Answered by Usman Madani (Ask mufti scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 6th September 2025