astronomy discoursed on the paths of the stars, the sun and the moon, and on eclipses and conjunctions (1) with lengthy speculations that have no basis in the Sacred Law. When the Prophet ﷺ spoke of the months and how to determine them, he clarified that their recognition is not by the methods employed by astrologers and makers of ephemerides; such procedures carry no weight in our religion, and we never calculate the month by them.

He then explained that a month is established only by actual sighting: it may be twenty-nine days, or, if completed, thirty (2); once the count reaches thirty, no further sighting is required.

As for poetry, Allah, exalted is He, declared him free of it. The Exalted One says, “We have not taught him poetry, nor would it befit him” (36:69). Thus he never composed poetry, despite its abundance and high quality among Quraysh and the fluency of their tongues with it. On rare occasions something metrically balanced might appear in his speech ﷺ, yet that has never made him a poet, such as his words:
“I am the Prophet—no lie! …
I am the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.” (3)

and his saying:
“You are but a finger that has bled,
And in the path of Allah, what you have suffered!” (4)