SIWAK

As the mouth is the entry-point for food and drink into the body,many germs, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, lactobacillus and others.

These germs are in a dormant state in the healthy individual, and coexist with him, but they turn harmful and can cause disease if they remain in the mouth and between the teeth where there are traces of food and drink, which the germs begin to dissolve and ferment,resulting in a bad smell.

These substances can damage the teeth, leading to decay or accumulations of minerals around the teeth, causing plaque,gum infections and abscesses.

These germs may also move to other parts of the body, causing infections in the stomach, trachea and elsewhere. They may cause abscesses in various parts of the body, or may lead to septicaemias or blood poisoning, and the overall sickness that results from that.

It is most important to take care of the mouth and teeth,because the teeth play an important role and any disease in them has an effect on overall health. Hence we can see the role of the Siwak which is of great importance in reducing problems. Stagnant saliva contains minerals in a concentrated form, and if they find a surface that is not touched by natural cleaning movements such as the movement of the tongue or by artificial movements such as the Siwak, then they leave a residue,especially at the gum line, which gradually forms plaque.

At that point, the germs interact with food remnants in the mouth,especially those of sugary foods, forming organic acids which begin to dissolve the tooth enamel then pulp; this decay will continue if oral hygiene is neglected.

The story of Siwak

In 1961, an East German magazine published an article by the scientist Rodet, the head of the Microbiology Institute of Rostock University, in which he said: I read about the Siwak which is used by the Arabs as a toothbrush in a book by a traveler who visited their lands. He spoke about this matter in a sarcastic way, taking it as a sign of the backwardness of these people who cleaned their teeth with a piece of wood in the twentieth century. But I thought: Why shouldn't there by some scientific basis for this piece of wood?

The opportunity came when a colleague of mine who works in the field of microbiology in Sudan brought me some of these pieces of wood.

I immediately began my research on them. I crushed them and wet them, then I placed this wetted powder in a petri dish, where there appeared traces like those of penicillin.

People may have used toothbrushes for two hundred years, but the

Muslims have been using the Siwak for more than fourteen hundred

years.

Perhapsexamining thechemical composition of the Siwak will enable us to understand the reasons why the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, chose it, a choice which was originally dictated by Divine revelation.

Recent laboratory tests have confirmed that the Miswak contains high levels of astringent, which is an anti-fungal with a cleansing and constricting effect. It helps to stop bleeding in the gums and strengthens them. It also supports the presence of sinigrin which has a sharp smell and burning taste like mustard; this substance helps to kill off germs.

Microscopic examination of Siwak pieces also confirmed the presence of silica crystals and calcium hydroxide, which is effective in cleaning the teeth and removing dirt and yellowish residue. Dr. Tariq Al-Khouri confirmed the presence of chloride and silica, which is a substance that increases the whiteness of the teeth, and the presence of a glue-like substance that covers the enamel and protects teeth from decay. The presence of vitamin C and trimethylamine helps to heal wounds in the gums and enables them to grow soundly, and it was proved that the presence of sulphurous substances prevents decay.

(Rawai' Al-Tibb Al-Islami by Dr.Muhammad Nizar Al-Daqar)