JiiiMu / Hadith / Wudu and purity

The siwak at every prayer

The Prophet ﷺ would have ordered the siwak before every prayer if it were not hard.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah

Were it not that it would be hard on my Ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwak at every prayer.

Sahih al-Bukhari 887, Sahih Muslim 252

What this hadith teaches

Cleaning the teeth before prayer is a strongly recommended sunnah. A siwak stick or a toothbrush both clean the mouth.

Reference and grade

Grade
Sahih: agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
Narrator
Abu Hurairah

The hadith in Arabic نص الحديث

لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي ـ أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ ـ لأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ مَعَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ

Arabic text of Sahih al-Bukhari 887, as given on sunnah.com.