Is it Sunnah to rinse the mouth before or/and after eating?
Answer
I haven’t seen a clear Hadith encouraging the rinsing of the mouth before meals.
As far as doing so after meals, this has been reported several narrations, among them is the following:
Sayyiduna Suwayd ibn Nu’man (radiyallahu’anhu) reports: ‘We were with Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) at a place called Sahba, when he asked for the meals to be served. He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) ate the sawiq (roasted wheat) and we did so too. Thereafter Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) stood up for salah and gargled his mouth. We did the same.’
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 5454 & 209)
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has included a chapter in his Sahih under the section of Meals entitled: Chapter of gargling after meals. In this chapter, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) cited the Hadith quoted above.
Note: This is the only Hadith of Sayyiduna Suwayd ibn Nu’man (radiyallahu’anhu) that is recorded in Sahih Bukhari.
(Fathul Bari, Hadith: 215)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar