❀ Detailed Research on the Incidents and Frequency of Shiq-e-Sadr (Splitting of the Chest) ❀
Taken from: Fatawa Muhammadiyyah Vol. 1, Pg. 189
❖ Question:
What do the scholars of Islam say regarding this matter:
On which occasions and how many times did the Shiq-e-Sadr (splitting of the chest) of the Prophet ﷺ occur? Kindly clarify in the light of the Hadith.
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
I say, and success is from Allāh!
Upon studying the Hadiths and reports related to Shiq-e-Sadr, it is found that the event of the splitting of the chest of the Prophet ﷺ has been narrated to have occurred five times.
The Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) and biographers of the Prophet ﷺ have mentioned these narrations along with chains of narration and their critiques in their respective compilations. For further details, one may refer to:
Mawahib, Zurqani, Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tayalisi, Darimi, Dala’il Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il Bayhaqi, Ibn Asakir, Sunan Darimi, Majma’ al-Zawaid, Zad al-Ma’ad, Fath al-Bari, Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, Sirah Ibn Hisham, Rawd al-Unuf, Kanz al-Ummal.
For Urdu readers, Sirat al-Nabi ﷺ by Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi (Vol. 3) is beneficial.
✿ Reported Occasions of Shiq-e-Sadr:
① First time: At the age of five, during foster care with Halimah Sa’diyyah.
② Second time: At the age of ten.
③ Third time: At the age of twenty.
④ Fourth time: During the early days of Prophethood.
⑤ Fifth time: On the night of Mi’raj (Ascension).
However, the narrations regarding the second, third, and fourth instances are extremely weak, and have been critically analyzed by the scholars of al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl (Hadith criticism).
✿ Detailed Review of Each Reported Occurrence
1. Shiq-e-Sadr at Age 10 – Narration and Chain:
Narration from Abu ibn Ka’b through Abu Hurairah ﵁:
((عن أبي بن كعب عن أبي هريرة…))
(Refer to Majma’ al-Zawaid for full narration.)
Summary: At the age of ten, the Prophet ﷺ was approached by two angels who opened his chest, removed a clot symbolizing envy and hatred, and inserted mercy and compassion. After sealing his chest, one of the angels said: “Rise and be at peace.”
Evaluation of Chain:
Although Ibn Hibban declared the narrators as trustworthy, the core chain is:
Mu’adh ibn Muhammad ibn Mu’adh → his father Muhammad → his grandfather Mu’adh → Abu Ka’b
As per Ali ibn al-Madini in Kitab al-‘Ilal:
“The entire chain is unknown; we do not recognize Mu’adh, nor his father, nor his grandfather.”
Abu Nu’aym said:
“This Hadith is exclusively narrated by Mu’adh ibn Muhammad, who alone has reported the chest-splitting incident at age ten.”
Hence, this narration is weak and unreliable.
2. Shiq-e-Sadr at Age 20 – Chain Evaluation:
Similar to the above, these reports are also weak, and their core chain again traces back to Mu’adh ibn Muhammad ibn Mu’adh, whose reliability is disputed.
3. Shiq-e-Sadr at the Beginning of Revelation:
Although some narrations in Dala’il Abu Nu’aym, Bayhaqi, Musnad Harith, and Musnad Tayalisi report a Shiq-e-Sadr event at the time of revelation from ʿĀʾishah ﵂, they are unreliable for two main reasons:
❖ Reason 1:
The most authentic narration about the beginning of revelation comes from ʿĀʾishah ﵂ in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and Musnad Ahmad, where no mention of chest-splitting is found.
❖ Reason 2:
The main narrator is Abu ‘Imran al-Jawni, who is extremely weak, and his shaykh is unknown. Some manuscripts mention Yazid ibn Banayus, known to be a Shi’ite and the alleged killer of ʿAlī ﵁.
Thus, these narrations cannot be accepted.
✿ Shiq-e-Sadr during Foster Care with Halimah Sa’diyyah – Chains and Evaluation
Eight different chains reach the Sahabah, of which two are authentic, while the rest are weak.
✔ First Chain:
Jahm ibn Abi Jahm → ‘Abdullah ibn Ja’far → Halimah
Source: Ibn Ishaq, Dala’il Abu Nu’aym
Issues:
- Jahm is unknown.
- ‘Abdullah ibn Ja’far did not meet Halimah.
- Ibn Ishaq shows doubt: “He himself said or someone told him…”
- Lower narrators are criticized.
✔ Second Chain:
Narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Waqidi in Ibn Sa’d
Issues:
- Waqidi is extremely weak, even considered a fabricator.
- The chain is disconnected: “عن أصحابه” – he omits names above him.
✘ Other Chains:
- Abu Nu’aym’s other chain contains unknown narrators.
- Chain through Ibn ‘Abbas includes Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Ghallabi, who is a known fabricator.
- A narration from Shaddad ibn Aws is rare, with an anonymous narrator and issues with Abu al-‘Ajfa’.
Thus, only two authentic narrations remain:
✿ Authentic Instances of Shiq-e-Sadr
① During Childhood (Foster care with Halimah Sa’diyyah)
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik ﵁:
((…فَأَخَذَهُ فَصَرَعَهُ، فَشَقَّ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ…))
- The angel opened his chest, removed a clot, washed it with Zamzam, and replaced it.
- Anas ﵁ said: “I saw the stitch marks on his chest.”
The purpose of this surgery is clarified in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
((…فَفَرَجَ صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ غَسَلَهُ مِنْ مَاءِ زَمْزَمَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِطَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ مُمْتَلِئٍ حِكْمَةً وَإِيمَانًا…))
② On the Night of Mi’raj
Also reported by Anas ibn Malik, this incident occurred in Makkah, before the journey of Ascension.
✅ Conclusion of Research:
Although five instances are mentioned in literature, only two are authentically proven through strong Hadith chains:
❶ During childhood at the home of Halimah Sa’diyyah
❷ On the night of Mi’raj
The remaining reports do not meet the criteria of authentic transmission.
✿ Response to Objections by Hadith Deniers:
Objection ①
“How can Anas ﵁ narrate a childhood event of the Prophet ﷺ that occurred before his birth?”
Response:
Anas ﵁ did not claim eyewitness. It is likely that he heard it directly from the Prophet ﷺ or another Sahabi. This is termed “Mursal Sahabi”, and it is accepted unanimously as valid evidence.
Objection ②
“The brain is the center of thoughts and emotions, not the heart; so why split the chest instead of the skull?”
Response:
- From a biological perspective, life depends on the heart, not the brain.
- The Qur’ān repeatedly affirms that the heart (قلب) is the seat of faith, perception, and understanding — not the brain.
Qur’anic Proofs:
- ﴿نَزَّلَهُ عَلى قَلبِكَ﴾ – [Al-Baqarah: 97]
- ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَليمٌ بِذاتِ الصُّدورِ﴾
- ﴿لَهُم قُلوبٌ لا يَفقَهونَ بِها﴾ – [Al-A’raf: 179]
- ﴿تَعمَى القُلوبُ الَّتى فِى الصُّدورِ﴾ – [Al-Hajj: 46]
Thus, operating on the heart aligns perfectly with divine wisdom.
✿ Calling by the Father’s Name on the Day of Judgment – Detailed Ruling:
❖ Claim: “People will be called by their
❖ Response:
The narration in Tabarani is very weak, as stated by:
- Ibn Hajar: “Its chain is very weak.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim: Declared it weak in commentary on Sunan Abu Dawood.
- Mulla Ali Qari: Called it fabricated.
Other justifications like protecting the honor of illegitimate children or honoring Isa ﷺ are also baseless and contradict Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
((…يُقَالُ هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ))
✅ Correct Position:
Authentic Hadiths affirm that people will be called by their father’s name.
Any exception (e.g. for ‘Isa ﷺ) is specific, not general.
✅ Final Verdict:
The two confirmed instances of Shiq-e-Sadr in the life of the Prophet ﷺ are:
- During childhood (in the care of Halimah Sa’diyyah)
- On the night of Mi’raj
Other narrations are weak or fabricated and cannot be relied upon.
