13/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1084a — Month Shown by Gesture
The month may be twenty-nine days
Jabir Hadith About Month 29 Days
Sahih Muslim : 1084a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1084a
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم اعْتَزَلَ نِسَاءَهُ شَهْرًا فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا فِي تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ فَقُلْنَا إِنَّمَا الْيَوْمُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ . فَقَالَ " إِنَّمَا الشَّهْرُ " . وَصَفَّقَ بِيَدَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ وَحَبَسَ إِصْبَعًا وَاحِدَةً فِي الآخِرَةِ .
Jabir Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) separated himself from his wives for a month. (His wives said:) He came to us on the twenty-ninth day, whereupon we said: It is the twenty-ninth (day) today. Thereupon he said: So far as the month is concerned, (and he, with a view to explaining it) flapped his hands thrice, but held back one finger at the last turn.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1084aIn-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 27USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2385
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1084a
Jabir narrates that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم separated himself from his wives for a month and came out to them on the twenty-ninth day. They said that it was the twenty-ninth. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then explained the month by clapping or striking his hands three times, holding back one finger on the last turn. This is another clear month 29 days hadith. The gesture makes the number easy to understand: two full tens and then nine. The text does not give a long legal discussion. It simply shows that in this case, the month was counted as twenty-nine, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made the count clear through his hands.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم showed the month length with his hands.
- Twenty-nine days can count as a month.
- The companions asked based on the day count, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم clarified it.
