The hadith you’re referring to is the report in which the Prophet Muhammad held Abu Huraira’s hand and counted five matters on his fingers. The idea was to show important points one by one, using the fingers as a simple way to remember them.

What the hadith was about

In that narration, the Prophet counted the following five teachings:

  1. “Protect yourself from the prohibited and you will be the most devout worshipper.”
  2. “Be content with what Allah has allotted and you will be the richest of people.”
  3. “Be good to your neighbor and you will be a believer.”
  4. “Love for people what you love for yourself and you will be a Muslim.”
  5. “Do not laugh excessively, for excessive laughter deadens the heart.”

Why the fingers were counted

The counting of fingers was a teaching method, not a separate type of hadith. It was a practical reminder to make the advice memorable and easy to repeat.

Important note

Abu Huraira is also known for narrating many hadith because he spent a lot of time close to the Prophet and devoted himself to learning and memorizing his sayings.

TL;DR: It was a hadith of moral advice, and the Prophet counted five teachings on Abu Huraira’s fingers as a memorization aid.