As he lay dying, one of the last acts the Prophet Muhammad performed was to use a twig called a miswak to clean his teeth. According to oral tradition, the Prophet often advocated the use of a tooth stick, made from a twig of a tree (Salvadora persica) that is believed to strengthen the gums, prevent tooth decay, eliminate toothaches and bad breath, improve the sense of taste, and make the teeth shine. Is this merely folklore, or pious religious dogma? In fact, some 25 years ago the World Health Organization began recommending the use of the miswak. And a 2003 scientific study concluded that people who used the miswak had better results than those using a toothbrush."There are 2 kinds of knowledge," the Prophet said, "knowledge of
religion and knowledge of the body." The body? Many religions would seem to
prefer we didn't have one, but Muhammad often talked about food, spices, and
the ritual of eating, believing that God preferred people to eat in groups.
Continue reading Practical Wisdom of Spiritual Masters: A U.N. Talk.
