حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنِي عُقْبَةُ بْنُ مُكَرَّمٍ الْكُوفِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَعَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 607
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah and from 'Ubaidullah bin Abi Rafi', from his father, from 'Ali (RA), that they [Abu Hurairah and 'Ali] said: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Were it not that it would be too difficult for the ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwak at the time of every prayer."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020