1/18. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 23 — Siwak and Delaying Isha
What Has Been Related About Siwak
Siwak Before Prayer and the Time of Isha
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 23
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 23
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ وَلأَخَّرْتُ صَلاَةَ الْعِشَاءِ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ " . قَالَ فَكَانَ زَيْدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ يَشْهَدُ الصَّلَوَاتِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَسِوَاكُهُ عَلَى أُذُنِهِ مَوْضِعَ الْقَلَمِ مِنْ أُذُنِ الْكَاتِبِ لاَ يَقُومُ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ إِلاَّ اسْتَنَّ ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani Narrated from:
I Heard Allah'S Messenger Saying: 'If It Were Not That It Would Be Difficult On My Nation Then, I Would Have Ordered Them To Use The Siwak For Each Prayer And To Delay The Isha Prayer Until The Third Of The Night.'" He [Abu Salamah, One Of The Narrators] Said: Zaid Bin Khalid Would Attend The Prayer In The Masjid And His Siwak Would Be On His Ear In The Location Of The Pen On The Ear Of A Writer. He Would Not Get Up To Pray Without Cleaning His Teeth, Then Returning It To Its Location."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 23In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 23English translation : Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 23
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 23
This hadith about siwak before prayer gives a clear picture of love for cleanliness and concern for ease. Zaid bin Khalid heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم say that if it were not hard upon his nation, he would have ordered them to use the siwak for every prayer and would have delayed Isha until one third of the night. The text then shows Zaid’s own care for this practice. He would attend prayer in the masjid with his siwak placed on his ear like a writer places a pen. He would not stand for prayer until he had cleaned his teeth. The lesson is direct: siwak was treated as a ready habit before salah, while the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also kept hardship away from the people.
What we learn from this hadith
- Siwak before prayer is shown as a repeated and valued habit.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not want worshippers to face avoidable hardship.
- Zaid bin Khalid kept his siwak close and used it before prayer.
- The hadith connects clean preparation with regular prayer in the masjid.
