What is Sahih Muslim 5920 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Virtues), narrated by Thabit reported that Anas b. Malik was asked about the dyeing (of the hair of) Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). Thereupon he said.:, states: "(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did 'Umar dye them with pure henna."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 5920 in the Book of The Book of Virtues.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#5919

#5920

Sahih Muslim

#5921

›

Sahih Muslim #5920

The Book of Virtues

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، قَالَ سُئِلَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ عَنْ خِضَابِ النَّبِيِّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَوْ شِئْتُ أَنْ أَعُدَّ شَمَطَاتٍ كُنَّ فِي رَأْسِهِ فَعَلْتُ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لَمْ يَخْتَضِبْ وَقَدِ اخْتَضَبَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَالْكَتَمِ وَاخْتَضَبَ عُمَرُ بِالْحِنَّاءِ بَحْتًا ‏.‏

(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did 'Umar dye them with pure henna.

Narrated by Thabit reported that Anas b. Malik was asked about the dyeing (of the hair of) Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). Thereupon he said.:

Context

Anas b. Malik recounts a discussion about the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ hair dyeing practices. He noted that while the Prophet did not dye his hair, others like Abu Bakr and Umar did. This highlights the cultural practices of grooming and personal appearance during that time, as well as the Prophet's unique approach to adornment.

Modern Application

In contemporary society, this hadith reminds us that personal grooming choices can vary widely. People may choose to dye their hair for various reasons, including aesthetics or cultural expression, and such choices should be respected as personal preferences.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Islamic Dress Code and Adornment Guidelines because it discusses the practices of personal appearance and grooming in relation to Islamic teachings.

Islamic Dress Code Adornment Guidelines