Miswak

About a month ago, I noticed a man sitting cross-legged on the pavement outside of the grocery store with a small carpet with lots of sticks laid out upon it.  I was wondering why people would want to buy the sticks.  Because it is Ramadan, there are lots of articles about Ramadan and the various practices during Ramadan.  Using miswak (or siwak) is one of those practices.  The prophet recommended its use, extolling the use of miswak as a means of purifying the mouth.  It seems to be especially important during Ramadan.  It is basically the traditional alternative to the toothbrush.  According to an article in the Arab News, it "strengthens the gums and prevents tooth decay, creates a fragrance in the mouth and eliminates bad odors, improves the sense of taste, sharpens the memory, causes the teeth to glow, strengthens eyesight, assists in digestion and clears the voice".  Here is the picture from the news article:

 

I decided that I would like to try one.  The next time that we went to the grocery store and we were leaving, the man was there with his carpet and sticks of miswak.  Here is a picture of Ken buying two sticks from him:

 

So, the man picked out two sticks and cut them shorter and whittled them a bit.  They are supposed to be the length of the span between the tip of the thumb and the little finger. 

Here is what he gave us:

 

So, we tried it at home.  For supper, we had eaten a very garlicky spaghetti sauce on pasta.  And I think that it DID freshen my breath.  It was weird trying to brush my teeth with a stick. though.  Here is a picture of Ken and I trying it:

 

 

And after you chewed on it and brushed a little bit, the end DID become a brush!  Here is a picture:

So, if ever I lose my toothbrush, I have miswak, although it has not done anything for my memory or eyesight yet.  :)