13/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1086a — Hand Gesture for Month Count
The month may be twenty-nine days
Sa'd Hadith About Month 29 Days
Sahih Muslim : 1086a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1086a
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ عَلَى الأُخْرَى فَقَالَ " الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا " . ثُمَّ نَقَصَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ إِصْبَعًا .
Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) struck his hand against the other and (then with the gesture of his two hands) said: The month is thus, thus (two times). He then withdrew (one of) his fingers at the third turn.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1086aIn-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 31USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2389
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1086a
Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم struck one hand against the other and said, “The month is thus, thus,” then withdrew one finger on the third turn. The hadith about month 29 days is taught here through action, not only words. The count points to twenty-nine: two full tens, then one less than ten. The narration is short, so the explanation should stay short in meaning too. It teaches that the month can be counted as twenty-nine days. It also shows the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم making the idea clear through a simple hand gesture that the listeners could see and remember.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used a hand gesture to explain the count.
- The third count was one finger short, pointing to twenty-nine.
- A month can be twenty-nine days.
