❀ Detailed Research on the Incidents and Frequency of Shiq-e-Sadr (Splitting of the Chest) ❀
Taken from: Fatawa Muhammadiyyah Vol. 1, Pg. 189
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Eight different chains reach the Sahabah, of which two are authentic, while the rest are weak.
Jahm ibn Abi Jahm → ‘Abdullah ibn Ja’far → Halimah
Source: Ibn Ishaq, Dala’il Abu Nu’aym
Issues:
Narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Waqidi in Ibn Sa’d
Issues:
Thus, only two authentic narrations remain:
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik ﵁:
((...فَأَخَذَهُ فَصَرَعَهُ، فَشَقَّ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ...))
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...))
Also reported by Anas ibn Malik, this incident occurred in Makkah, before the journey of Ascension.
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.
“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.
“The brain is the center of thoughts and emotions, not the heart; so why split the chest instead of the skull?”
Response:
Qur’anic Proofs:
Thus, operating on the heart aligns perfectly with divine wisdom.
The narration in Tabarani is very weak, as stated by:
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))
Authentic Hadiths affirm that people will be called by their father’s name.
Any exception (e.g. for ‘Isa ﷺ) is specific, not general.
The two confirmed instances of Shiq-e-Sadr in the life of the Prophet ﷺ are:
Other narrations are weak or fabricated and cannot be relied upon.
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.
