The month may be twenty-nine days

Zuhri reported that (once) the Apostle of Allah ﷺ took an oath that he would not go to his wives for one Month. Zuhri said that 'Urwa narrated to him from 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) that she said: When twenty-nine nights were over, which I had counted, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me (he came to me first of all). I said: Messenger of Allah, you had taken an oath that you would not come to us for a month, whereas you have come after twenty nine days which I have counted. Whereupon he said: The month may also consist of twenty-nine days.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَقْسَمَ أَنْ لاَ يَدْخُلَ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِ شَهْرًا - قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ - فَأَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ لَمَّا مَضَتْ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ لَيْلَةً أَعُدُّهُنَّ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ - قَالَتْ بَدَأَ بِي - فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ أَقْسَمْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَدْخُلَ عَلَيْنَا شَهْرًا وَإِنَّكَ دَخَلْتَ مِنْ تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ أَعُدُّهُنَّ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ الشَّهْرَ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ " .

Jabir (Allah be pleased with her) narrated that 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.

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 ﷺ 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 .

Abu Zubair is reported to have heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with both of them) as saying: The Apostle of Allah ﷺ separated himself from his wives for a month. (His wives said: ) He came to us on the morning of the twenty-ninth. Upon this some, of the people said: It is the morning of twenty- ninth (according to our calculation). Upon this the Apostle of Allah ﷺ said: The month. may also consist of twenty-nine days. The Apostle of Allah ﷺ then flapped his bands thrice, twice with all the fingers of both his hand (to indicate twenty-nine) and by the third time with nine (fingers).

حَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَحَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، - رضى الله عنهما - يَقُولُ اعْتَزَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ نِسَاءَهُ شَهْرًا فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا صَبَاحَ تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا أَصْبَحْنَا لِتِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " إِنَّ الشَّهْرَ يَكُونُ تِسْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ " . ثُمَّ طَبَّقَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِيَدَيْهِ ثَلاَثًا مَرَّتَيْنِ بِأَصَابِعِ يَدَيْهِ كُلِّهَا وَالثَّالِثَةَ بِتِسْعٍ مِنْهَا .

Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Apostle of Allah ﷺ took an oath that he would not go to some of his wives for the whole of the month. When twenty-nine days bad passed he (the Holy Prophet) went to them in the morning or in the evening. Upon this it was said to him: Apostle of Allah, you took an oath that you would not come to us for a month, whereupon he said: The month may also consist of twenty-nine days.

حَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَيْفِيٍّ، أَنَّ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ - رضى الله عنها - أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حَلَفَ أَنْ لاَ يَدْخُلَ عَلَى بَعْضِ أَهْلِهِ شَهْرًا فَلَمَّا مَضَى تِسْعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ يَوْمًا غَدَا عَلَيْهِمْ - أَوْ رَاحَ - فَقِيلَ لَهُ حَلَفْتَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَنْ لاَ تَدْخُلَ عَلَيْنَا شَهْرًا . قَالَ " إِنَّ الشَّهْرَ يَكُونُ تِسْعَةً وَعِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا " .

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Juraij with the same chain of transmitters.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا رَوْحٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ، - يَعْنِي أَبَا عَاصِمٍ - جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ .

Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with him) said that 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.

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 ﷺ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى الأُخْرَى فَقَالَ " الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا " . ثُمَّ نَقَصَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ إِصْبَعًا .