Do We Have 360 Joints as Mentioned in The Hadith Themed Every Joint Has a Charity Due?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I read the hadiths where it says we have 360 joints, but science says that the amount of joints in our body differs from human to human depending on many factors. Because one Google search says there’s 360, countless others say it isn’t. I’m confused now. Please help me, Jazak Allahu Khairan.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)  was sent to remind us to be grateful and not provide us with an anatomy lesson. Those joints mentioned in the hadith by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) are an approximate number; as we know, bones can vary from adult to adult.

Shall I Not Be a Grateful Servant?

Mughira ibn Shu‘ba (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would pray until his feet were swollen. It was said to him, “Why do you do this when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?” The Prophet said, “Shall I not be a grateful servant?” [Bukhari; Muslim]

Movable Joints

These are the movable joints in the human body, which give the vertebral column and, hence, the whole body the ability to move freely. The immovable joints, as those joining the skull bones, are not counted here.

verywellhealth.com states:

How Many Joints Are in the Human Body?

You are born with about 300 bones. As you grow, some of these bones fuse. By the time you reach adulthood, you have 206 bones. A human adult body has 360 joints. Some joints are immovable (like the sutures in your skull), and some allow various types of movement.

Cleveland Clinic. Org states:

How Many Joints Are in the Human Body?

Experts often disagree on exactly how many joints are in the human body. Most experts define a joint as any place where two bones meet. Others define joints differently, saying joints should only be considered places where two bones meet and move.
Depending on which definition you use, adults have around 350 joints.

Every Joint has Charity Due, Even a Good a Word.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah( Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Charity is due upon every joint of the people for every day upon which the sun rises. Justly reconciling two people is charity. Helping a man with his animal and lifting his luggage is charity. A kind word is charity. Every step you take towards the mosque is charity, and removing harmful things from the road is charity.” [Bukhari; Muslim]

Every Day 360 Acts of Charity Are Due

Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, every human being among the children of Adam was created with three hundred and sixty joints. Whoever exalts Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah is one, glorifies Allah, removes a rock from the roads of people, or a thorn, or a bone from the roads of people, and enjoins good and forbids evil by the number of those joints, he will walk on that day delivering himself from the Hellfire.” [Muslim]

Let Us Be Grateful

One uses joints every time we do something, from sitting down after a long day to scrolling through this answer. They’re the nuts and bolts that help your body hold its shape and perform any movement you need. Allah Most High, through His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), has told us to do certain acts; this way, we can be grateful for what He has granted us in the form of our human body.

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.

Related

• How Many Joints in the Human Body: Types of Joints, Variables & More (healthline.com)
• Human Joints Explained (verywellhealth.com)

Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.