Assalamualaikum! All praise is due to Allah Who has given me the strength to continue writing on this blog. We are gradually coming to the end of the ‘Status of Women’ series. Today, I will talk about a very commonly misquoted Hadith of Rasulullah (Sm.).
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It is reported that Abu Sayeed Khudri (Ra.) Narrated,
Once Allah's Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o 'Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
(Sahih Bukhari: 1:6:301)
In another narration, Narrated by Abu Sayeed Khudri (Ra.),
The Prophet said, "Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?" The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind."
(Sahih Bukhari: 3:48:826)
From these two Hadiths, people generally conclude that prophet (Sm.) has actually lowered the status of the women. But this claim is completely false. In my next post, I will clear about the number of women in hell. Today I will show that the women are not lowered in Islam by this Hadith.
How?
Let’s get to know it.
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Refutation of the claim that Islam shows women as inferior:
1. From the translation of the Hadiths: The word which is the root cause of Problem here is NUQSAN, many of the versions show that it is deficiency or decrease, but a more appropriate would be ‘reduction’. If we take it as reduction, we see that the prayer and fasting have actually been reduced for the women at the time of Menses and that’s what Rasul (Sm.) indicated here. In the case of testimony, women in early Islam did not customarily involve themselves in business contracts, debts, and other matters. They were usually doing other important work, caring for their children and elderly parents, and so on. As a result, the Hadith implies to lessen a woman’s obligation to testify in such matter. In support of this meaning, the following verses are presented:
Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders?
(Surah al-Raad 13:41)
And again:
Then do they not see that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders?
(Surah al-Ambiya 21:44)
2. Women are given fewer duties indeed: By referring that women do not perform prayer or fasting while menses, it is not something that He (Sm.) is making the women inferior. The menses is something from The Creator and the ruling that they should not pray or fast is also from Creator. Here what is actually meant is that the women are given ease in times of their difficulty because they even don’t have to make up the prayers later, only the fasting is needed to. The comment ‘deficiency in religion’ actually implies that women do not need to do as the men do though they will get the same reward as it is in the Quran,
Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. (Surah Al-Ahzab: 35)
Again in a Hadith it says,
A traveler’s and a sick person’s deeds are accounted on the basis of what he/she used to do while being resident or healthy. (Sahih Bukhari)
From these above two ayah and Hadith we see that for both male and female there is same reward and one of them will not be given less for her physical inability.
(Want to know about Hijab of women? Click HERE)
3. Women are less knowledgeable in terms of Business: The verse which says that the testimony of two women is similar to that of a man is as follows,
O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, ……, And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses - so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her. (Surah Bakhara: 282)
In this verse, Allah clearly mentions that it is a contract of debt and later on says that it is a transaction, meaning trade or business. We all know that the women of that time were not engaged in business and trade at a general rate (they were not considered human even). As a result, when it came to such matters, it is obvious that the woman may make a mistake. Thus, Allah orders to take two women, so that if one errs, another can remind.
(The property given to women in Islam - Click HERE)
4. What a beautiful decree indeed: This verse has also one inner meaning. That, in case of a man, he could be reminded by the contractor or debtor. But in case of a woman, it is natural that due to Hijab any man can’t easily remind her, whereas if they are two, one can keep up the other easily at any time, any place, and any moment. This indicates the Prudence of Almighty Allah.
5. From the Hadith part directly: What the prophet (Sm.) used was deficiency or reduction in intelligence of women. This can be explained as a woman is generally busy with the duties and responsibilities of maintaining the household and children. As a result, it is very much natural for her to forget about the Testimony. A woman has also to go through menses and things like that. What if the trial starts then? In the verse, beautifully it says ‘if one errs, another can remind’ this thing says that if a women is unable to reach the trial due to her household business, or health condition, another women can make it up.
6. The power of a woman over a man: A cautious sensible man could be led astray by you – this does not indicate the trickery of the women, rather it shows us how powerful women are over the men in terms of attracting and establishing control. This part of the Hadith actually does talk about this natural trait of a woman’s character.
7. Cursing and ungratefulness: This part of the Hadith contains a reason why Rasulullah (Sm.) said the latter things. The women are actually given so much ease in terms of trade and business, and doing the prayer and fasting, yet they are ungrateful over silly things with their husbands. Thus, Rasul (Sm.) says those latter things to remind them of what bounty and blessings they have been blessed with. Also, the Arab women would frequently curse their husbands. As a result, to stop that practice, Rasul (Sm.) used such words.
From all of the mentioned points, I think it is quite clear why this Hadith is like this and what it really interprets. Another part of this Hadith is regarding the number of women in hell. That is going to be my very next post In Sha Allah!
Till then, stay blessed and spread the message of Truth to all out there by sharing the content!
For reading more posts about Women, Click HERE and HERE.
For reading posts about Jihad, Click HERE.
