Commonly Misunderstood Narrations Pertaining to Women
March 9, 2008 by Aboo Uthmaan
Written by Aboo Uthmaan
I recently received an email in my inbox in which the sender asked me what I thought about the contents that they had copied and pasted from an “Islamic” blog that has to its detriment in the last two years received over 130,000 hits. The contents amounted to the author essentially rejecting authentic narrations of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) based on nothing more than her emotions in that she was and is unable to believe that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said what he did.
The email centred around commonly misunderstood narrations pertaining to women, in which the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has informed us that for men women are a fitnah, that the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire are women and that women are deficient in their intellects and religion. Unfortunately, few who read these narrations, reject them and then try to prove otherwise have actually understood them in the first place.
Whatever happened to knowledge preceding speech and action? Anyhow, I thought it would be worth taking a look at the narrations in order that the correct understanding of them is disseminated:
The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“I have not left behind any fitnah more harmful to men than women.” (Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
Br. Abu Khaliyl Jadd Sylvester [1] said:
Regarding the hadeeth in question, in his commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Ibn Hajar said:
“In the hadeeth, is that the fitnah of women is more severe than the fitnah of other than them. And this is testified to by the saying of Allaah, the Most High: ‘Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children…’ [Aali Imran 2:14] So He made them among the most coveted of the desires, and began mentioning them before the other types, indicating that they are the basis of that. And it occurs in what is witnessed; for a man loves the child of his wife who is with him (at the time) more than he loves his child from other than her…”
Regarding the ayah which Ibn Hajar mentioned above:
“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, al-qanaatiril-muqantarah (large measures) of gold and silver, branded beautiful horses (musawwamah), cattle and fertile land. That is the delight (mataa’) of the life of the world; but Allaah has the excellent return with Him.” [Aali Imran 3:14]
Ibn Kathir said: “Allaah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and he started with women, because the test with them is more tempting. For instance, in the Saheeh, it is recorded that the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘I did not leave behind a test more tempting to men than women.’ When one marries women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged to do so.” [End of quote...]
Br. Abu Khaliyl Jadd Sylvester continued by saying:
And then one can better understand when the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Indeed the world is moist and green, and Allaah has made you succeeding generations in it to watch how you will act, so beware of the world. And beware of women, for indeed the first fitnah for the Children of Israel was with women.” (Reported by Muslim and others)
So men are distracted by women, and it is not that it is all the fault of the women, but that they are such that men are distracted by them. So a man may leave obligations or recommended acts because of his being distracted by a woman, either in general or in specific terms. [End of quote...]
Br. Abu Khaliyl Jadd Sylvester said in conclusion:
As far as the stature of women is concerned, one should not confuse this matter with that matter, all of the Muslim is sacred, their wealth, their blood and their honour. The woman Muslim is sacred, the man Muslim is sacred. And the religion teaches respect for women, such that is not taught by any other ideology, the rightful understanding about status of individuals in a society which can only come from the wisdom of the Lord of the worlds. So the mere mention of women as a “distraction” for men may incite some to allegations about the religion that are false. So they should be reminded that the best are those who have the most taqwa, and it is not impossible that a man have less of that than his wife, and that in the end, he be only a distraction for her, in the same manners as has been explained about men’s distraction with women. And Allaah knows best. [End of quote...]
Once Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of ‘Eed-al-Adha or al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said: “O women! Give alms (charity), as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire were you (women).” They asked: “Why is it so, O Allaah’s Messenger?” He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 Allaah’s Messenger! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?” He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “This is the deficiency in her religion.” (Reported by al-Bukhaaree)
Br. Abu Khaliyl Jadd Sylvester said:
It contains:
“I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire were you (women).”
Which is prophetic information that he delivered. Then: “Why is it so” a question is asked about “why.” Then the answer was given.
“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.” And he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “This is the deficiency in her religion.”
So after further questioning he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained further. The information was given to exhort giving charity, to save oneself from the Fire. This need applies to both men and women, but he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was addressing women at this point, so he directed his address to them.
As far as the observation, that it seems to “suggest women were created deficient”, it does not mention anything about women’s creation. It refers to matters of eemaan and disobedience.
The more one obeys Allaah the stronger their eemaan, and the more one obeys Shaytaan, the weaker their eemaan, and the Fire will contain more people whose eemaan was very weak, than those whose eemaan was stronger.
Prayer and fasting are part of eemaan, saying the truth is part of eemaan, one who does not pray nor fast, and one who says what is not true, it will be said that this person has infringed on some matters of eemaan.
So charity was mentioned as a means of making up the deficiency. This is because the woman not praying and fasting while on her menses is a matter that she has no choice over. But, even with the excuse, since prayer is a means of preventing one from fahishah and munkar, wherever it is lacking - for whatever the reason - it will not be a means of warding off fahishah and munkar. Therefore, while a person is not performing the prayer, they are more prone to commit fahishah and munkar. Allaah said (which means):
“Establish the salaah, for indeed the salaah prevents from al-fahishah and al-munkar.” [Al-'Ankabut 29:42]
While, fundamentally, giving charity is exhorted to ward off the Fire, and not just for women. As is found in the famous hadeeth: “Whoever among you is able to ward off the Fire even if with a piece of a date, then let him do so.” Or as he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said in the two Saheeh’s and others.
Conversely, Hell is filled with those who left off faith, and followed Shaytaan, committing adultery, theft, backbiting, slander, and a host of other crimes. These are both men and women. So the mere observation that men and women will be in the Fire, does not necessitate that they were created in a manner that was worse than some other creatures.
This is because humans can excel many other creatures through faith.
So the hadeeth in question is authentic, and the information in it is true and to be believed in, but the speculation about such matters as ‘women are created deficient’ is argumentative.
Allaah describes the creation of humans with descriptions that imply they are deficient, that is, they created with needs that only He can fulfil. This applies to men and women, since they are both humans. Allaah said (which means):
“And man is ever hasty.” [Al-Isra 17:11]
He said: (which means):
“And He gave you all of that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allaah, you will never be able to count them. Verily man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, kafaar.” [Ibrahim 14:34]
And the meaning of “kafaar” here is like Allaah’s saying (which means):
“Verily, man is ungrateful to His Lord.” [Al-‘Adiyat 100:6]
And He said: (which means):
“Verily man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him, and stingy when good touches him, except those who pray, and those in whose wealth there is a recognised right. For the beggar who, asks…” [Al-Ma’arij 70:19-25]
He said: (which means):
“Nay! Verily man does transgress. Because he considers himself self-sufficient.” [Al-‘Alaq 96:6-7]
And many other ayaat describe humans with deficient traits. This is because the human is in need of his or her Lord.
Similarly in one of the narrations of the hadeeth in question, the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Most of its inhabitants are women, yakfurn.” So they said: “Ayakfurna billah?” That is most of them are ungrateful, and they asked: “Ungrateful to Allaah?” So he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) answered: “Ungrateful to their husbands, and ungrateful for beneficence, if you always do good to one of them, then they see something in you, she will say: ‘I have never seen any good from you.’.”
So the issue is that man is ungrateful, that is men and women to their Lord, and the woman is ungrateful, to her husband.
As for the traits in the case of women, they are described in the literature, not praying nor fasting during menses, being ungrateful to their husbands, etc.
So similarly Allaah mentioned that humans are impatient and ungrateful, and then He said, except those who pray, and are charitable, etc, as mentioned above.
This should make it clear, as I said earlier, that salaah and other acts of eemaan, increase one’s eemaan, and ward off its opposite, the more eemaan one does, the stronger one becomes, the less of it, the weaker, the more wrong one does, the worse in wrong one becomes, the less of this the more of that and vice versa.
So it should not seem that the hadeeth implies women deficient, since it explains that those who do less of prayer and fasting, for a valid reason, should make up for the less acts of faith, with more acts of faith, like charity, which is prescribed to help save oneself from the Fire, for both men, and women.
Lastly, in a narration recorded by at-Tirmidhee and others that Umm ‘Ammaarah al-Ansariyah came to the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: ‘I do not see but that everything is for the men, and I do not see that women are mentioned with anything.’ So this ayah was revealed:
“Indeed the Muslim men, and the Muslim women…” “Allaah has prepared for them forgiveness, and a great reward.”
Similar was recorded by Ahmad. So this is the general rule, those who have faith and do righteous deeds, etc., as described in the ayah, are those for whom the reward and forgiveness is prepared.
And Allaah knows best. [End of quote...]
Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Aziz bin Baaz said:
The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained that their shortcoming in reasoning is found in the fact that their memory is weak and that their witness is in need of another woman to corroborate it. Therefore, it is related to non-proficiency in witnessing due to woman’s forgetfulness or she may add something in her witnessing.
As for the shortcoming in her religion, it is because when they are menstruating or having post-partum bleeding, they neither pray nor fast, and they do not make up their prayers, and this is their shortcoming in the religion. However, they are not to be blamed for that shortcoming. This has been imposed by the Law of Allaah. He is the one who laid down such legislation in kindness and ease upon her. This is because if she were too fast while menstruating or post-partum bleeding, this would harm her. It is from the mercy of Allaah that she is sanctioned not too fast. As for the prayer, during menses, she is in a situation that keeps her from being purified. It is again from Allaah’s mercy that He has commanded that they do not pray while they are menstruating as well as during post-partum bleeding. He has also ordered that they do not make up their prayers. This is because if they were ordered to make up their prayers, it would be a hardship upon them. Prayer is repeated five times in a day and night. Menses may last for a number of days, up to seven or eight or more. Post-partum bleeding lasts for forty days. It is from the mercy of Allaah and His goodness to them that they are not obliged to perform or make up the prayers of such conditions.
However, this does not mean that they have a shortcoming in understanding in everything or that they have a shortcoming in religion in every matter. The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made it clear that their shortcoming in understanding is with respect to their non-proficiency and in religion with respect to their not praying or fasting during menstruation or post-partum bleeding.
This also does not mean that she is less than men in every matter or that men are superior to her in every aspect. Yes, as a class, men are superior to women in general. This is true for a number of reasons, as Allaah has stated:
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend [to support them] from their means.” [An-Nisa 4:34]
However, she may excel him in many matters. How many women are greater than many men with respect to their intelligence, religion and proficiency. It has been narrated from the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that women as a species or class are less than men in understanding and religion from the point of view of the matters that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself explained.
A woman may perform many good deeds and exceed many men in her good deeds, her fear of Allaah and her place in the Hereafter. She may concentrate on some matters and her proficiency may be much greater than many men in many issues that concern her and in which she exerted her memory and proficiency. She may be a reference, for example, in Islamic history and many other matters. This is something very clear to anyone who pondered the state of the women during the time of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and afterwards.
From this, one knows that her shortcoming does not mean that she cannot be relied upon for narrations. Similarly, if her witness is supported by another woman, it is accepted. There is nothing that prevents her fear of Allaah from making her one of the best of the servants of Allaah and one of the best women-servants of Allaah. This is if she is steadfast in her religion and she is not obliged to fast or pray while menstruating or having post-partum bleeding. If she does not have to pray or make up her prayers, that does not necessitate that she has a shortcoming in every matter related to fear and obedience of Allaah or her fulfilling of her duties upon her. With respect to her proficiency, she has a specific shortcoming, as the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained, and that does not mean that it can be generalised.
A believer may not accuse her of having a shortcoming in everything or a weakness in her faith in every matter. It is a particular shortcoming in her religion and a particular shortcoming in her reasoning that is related to the proficiency of the witness and so forth. One must be fair to her and understand the words of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the best and most appropriate manner. And Allaah knows best. [End of quote...]
There is no need to mention the status of women in Islam and the fact that they are honoured and held in high-esteem, since this is well known. However, if you wish to read more on this particular issue you can do so here: The Status of Muslim Women by Shaykh ‘Abdul-’Aziz bin Baaz - May it be of benefit inshaa’Allaah!
Footnote:
[1] Abu Khaliyl Jadd Sylvester is an American who is originally from Philadelphia. He accepted Islam in the mid 1980’s and he used to publish books for the operation Ad-Da’wah to Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Muhammadur-Rasoolullaah in Philadelphia. Then he went to work for QSS under the leadership of Muhammad al-Jibaly. At QSS he authored and translated a number of works for the Jam’iyah such as “Straightening the Rows for Prayer”, “The Ruling on Isbaal”, “Principles of Commanding the Good and Forbidding the Evil”, and so forth. He also co-authored works with Muhammad al-Jibaly. At the same time he was the chief editor and translator for Hudaa newspaper that many of us are familiar with.
Eventually he moved to Riyadh, KSA, in August 1999 to work at Darussalam Publishers head office for two years. There he worked as the chief editor for the famous 10 volumes of Tafsir ibn Kathir under the supervision of Shaykh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri.
When Tafsir ibn Kathir was finished he returned to the US and found and continues to operate Dar al-Kitaab wal-Hikmah in Mobile, Alabama. Abu Khaliyl is the author of many works that can be found at www.dkh-Islam.com - He also works behind the scenes as a translator and editor for Darussalam.
He has ijaazah (permission to teach) from Shaykh Safi-ur-Rahman in the Kutub-us-Sittah (Bukhaaree, Muslim, Aboo Daawood, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa’ee and Ibn Maajah) and actively teaches them online. For class schedules visit www.prosunnah.org and www.darulehsaan.com
SubhanAllah! You have clarified a very thorny issue amongst women.
I am becoming more and more a proponent of having a licence to speak (i.e. not speak unless one has researched the subject in depth, not just cut and paste from a line on the internet).
Jazaaik Allah hu Khairan for this excellent, relevant & contextually informative post.
May Allah reward you!
Assalamu alaykum
I still don’t think this subject has been dealt with properly and for me it still contains connotations of male superiority. I think until this deen is dominated by male scholarly interpretations than we’re going to be coming up with rather lame excuses about ‘female weaknesses.’ My significant other suffers from such poor memory and I’m not talking about missing car keys once in a blue moon! Does he require 2 or more male witnesses? Is he suffering from PMT? I admit during that tense monthly period, us ladies are prone to all sorts of changes, but we’re not stupid! What happens if the other lady you take along with you is also menstruating? Do you take another? What if she’s in a state of ‘weakness’? What if you you’re a lonely soul and have no other support? There must be exceptions to this rule but like always the literalists make this deen so hard and suffocating, when Allah SWT is Ar-Rahman and hasn’t placed upon us difficulty, unlike this soul-less group of Muslims.
Additionally, the few devout women who have studied shairah are often brainwashed by a male dominated teaching and come up with the same interpretations. Either that or they’re branded as pseudo intellects or accused of some feminist rubbish. And before I get shouted at, don’t forget, early noble Muslim women such as ‘Aesha we’re remarkable thinkers, teachers and questioned and debated (politely of course)!
I know I speak on behalf of many of us who are fed up of being silenced and cheapened by over-zealous, egoistic people. Our ummah is in desperate need of wise scholars who have been truly blessed with baseerah and can make fair judgements; otherwise the patriarchs will contribute to our loss, either away from this deen or this entire earth…
As-salaamu ‘alaikum
Dear Asqfish
Jazak’Allaahu khairan and I agree with you about only speaking upon knowledge, if only those of us who dont know remained silent, then maybe, just maybe the confusion would hault.
Was-salaamu ‘alaikum
Aboo Uthmaan
Walaikum salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh
Dear Umm Abdullah
Islam is submission, that is to submit our will to that of our Creator. He (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) has in His wisdom created men and women with different yet complementary natures. Each species has responsibilities and rights that are shared, whilst at the same time having unique responsibilities and rights. It is unfair to say that just because the majority of scholarly interpretations are that of men that it must mean that their explanations are “lame excuses” about “female weaknesses”, since in doing so one is implying that they cannot be right in that which they explain due to the mere fact that they are male.
We should also not exaggerate in stating “female weaknesses”, whilst remembering that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself is the one who informed us about these “weaknesses” and he did not say that women are “weak” in everything, but rather in specific things that he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself clarified. However, it is important not to get the two matters confused, being weak in one thing does not necessitate that women cannot excel men in many things, most importantly… in piety and righteousness. And it would be a stupid man to today claim that he is better than our mother, ‘Aa’isha (radee Allaahu ‘anha).
With regards to your husband then the requirement to have two witnesses is something that Allaah revealed in His Book, it is not something that a “man” invented or made up, and all this goes back to what Islam entails, that is submission, and that we recognise that Allaah has ordained what He has in His wisdom and that He is All-Wise whilst we are deficient in our intellects and our ability to understand. I am not too sure where the notion of “taking another” came from, nor was anyone suggesting that one should marry another women on the back of his existing wife menstruating. Furthermore, I am not too sure what soulless group of Muslims you are talking about or referring to.
As for the devout women who have studied sharee’ah, then it is unfair to say that just because they come to the same conclusions as men that they are brainwashed, maybe they are just following the truth and have understood what they have been studying upon its correct understanding without bias whilst treading a correct methodology. Yes, ‘Aa’isha (radee Allaahu ‘anha) was a remarkable woman, one who no man today could come close to in piety and excellence, but let us remember that in the narrations in question the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was on those occasions addressing women, and it was women who asked for further information as to why what the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said is so, they didn’t come up with arguments against what he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said; rather, they accepted it and submitted.
We should also note that men also have their weaknesses, but in the narrations we are discussing the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was addressing women and mentioned weaknesses that were and are specific to them, yet women have, do and will continue to excel men in many aspects of Islam. And I wonder how much “baseerah” we ourselves have to make fair judgements, or is “baseerah” only so when it is something that we can agree with, and back once again to Islam, submission of our will against that of our Creators, the All-Wise.
May Allaah give us the facilitation to do what is right!
Was-salaamu ‘alaikum
Aboo Uthmaan
Just a clarification. The two witnesses as far as I understand the references was only for financial matters.
Jazaaik ALlah hu Khairan
For the feminine perspective of what pertains to women in Islam, perhaps we need to find the originals of Hazrat Ayesha RA discourses?
Jazak’Allaahu khairan! Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips wrote [click here] on the issue at hand!
Salaam aleikum
I stumbled across this blog unexpectedly… and read on with amazement… subhanallah!
I read on many blogs how frustrated muslimahs are, because alot of things, through their interpretations and explanations seem unfair to the female gender.
Yes somethings are clear cut in Islam and most of us women are more than happy to obide by them. Like many sisters, we only want to obey our Lord, seek His pleasure to enter Jannah. After all Allah Almighty primarily created jinn and human for His worship.
However in times where we would like to discuss or find the truth on a matter we are so quickly labeled as ‘feminists’, ‘progressives’ or ‘modernists’. We are not any, and we are not after western womens freedoms which are ugly and cheap! We want all the freedom, independence and empowerment that Allah swt has given us, but when we seek this we get labelled femos! subhanallah Islam ia the balanced way.
It is so vital that we sisters learn and study the deen for ourselves and also question with knowledge and wisdom and the correct manners, the authenticity, legality and correct application of what we are told especially concerning our rights and duties!
It is not enough to just take what we are being told without verifying it from true scholars male and female where possible, who are fair and honest. Scholars who do not apply any bias or cultural inclinations to their views or rulings towards us.
Sister Umm Abdullah rightly says, that men too lapse in their memory and conentration levels, and really from the males in my family i can say that they are probably worse than us women who are menstruating or going thorugh post-partum bleeding!
Yes it is true that those times in a womens life are emotionally and mentally draining we admit this, but men also suffer from emotional and mental outbursts, like us they may not cry/weep, become sensitive or tired, but believe me most of us women have to cope with their anger and rage, laziness and uncompromising attitudes on a daily basis, so what then?!?
I would like to know, that how do we come to such justifications and answers, i mean does the Quran or hadeeth tell us, that women are weak? Or is this just the opinion of male scholars who have chosen this explanation?
As from what i understood Humans, not just females, are weak… Surah Ar-Rum:54.
“Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful (i.e. Able to do all things).”
As for two female witnesses, yes Allah swt tells u this in Sura Nisaa, Baqarah etc,and we believe and take this, wothout feeling subjugated or marred, as Allah swt knows whats best. But, what we want to know is like sister Umm Abudallah said, what if the two female witnesses are both menstruating or in the ’state of weakness’, then what? do we take another female… a third?
When a male witness is taken, do we check to see if he is not in a ’state of weakness’ or not in his ‘moody mode’?
According to some scholars this rule of 2 female witnesses applies in the instance of buiness and financial transactions, see link
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503544348
Its like the driving ban on women in certain places, is this islamic, or saudi culture, what we need is to distinguish between islam and arabism, or any other nationalism! Because this is unfair to women. If Allah swt, or the Prophet pbuh, said it is forbideen for us to drive then fine,we accept and submit, but if not, then why and how do men make these oppressive injunctions upon us?
This is a big and important topic and it cant be brushed away with quick sweeps, it needs deep analysing and studying to get to the real truth.
I strongly urge people to read around widely, consult scholars, to obtain true knowledge. “speaking in God’s name” by Khaled Abou El Fadl, is a worthwhile read!
May Allah swt facilitate us upon the truth and keep us away from wrong understanding and applications of this beautiful deen. Ameen.
Walaikum salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh
Dear New Sis
Would you mind sharing with us what you found “amazing” in that which I posted? And is there anything in the post that you do not agree with? If so, why?
As for the Muslim woman and her frustration regarding interpretations then no doubt some of her frustrations may be warranted, whereas much of her frustration may not. It could be that what she is frustrated about is something which is actually correct and true, so it does not necessitate that everything that the Muslim woman is frustrated about is justified. As for the labelling of women then yes it may be so by some people in some cases, but it is not something exclusive to women, men also receive many labels.
There is no doubt that sisters should be studying Islam, again, this is not exclusive to women, and men should also be studying their religion. Both sexes should readily accept the truth even if it is contrary to their desires, that means not putting our intellect before the Qur’aan and Sunnah as explained to and understood by the Shahaabah (radee Allaahu ‘anhum). It is also important that we do not reject the truth because it is not in line with what we want to hear, and in justifying our rejection we ourselves end up labelling the scholars as those who have certain biases or cultural views that influence their opinions.
I agree with you fully that men do lapse in their memory and that many women surpass men in this, in fact women surpassing men does not stop there, for indeed women surpass men in numerous fields, not just in things that are unique and specific to them, but in general things. However, the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has clearly stated that women in general have a specific weakness and he also informed us of the reason for this. This does not mean that a woman cannot be better than a man or excel a man, and it is true that men also have many weaknesses.
Yes, humankind in general is weak and is in need of Allaah; of course men have their weaknesses, some which are unique to them and some which they may share with women, just as women have their weaknesses, some which are unique to them and some which they man share with men.
As for the two witnesses then I have already posted a link to a scan from a book by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, so no need for me to mention that again, but according to him it is as you have stated, so no difference of opinion there. I do not know about the general rule, but with regards to the science of hadeeth then you are no doubt aware that some narrations are graded weak because someone somewhere in the chain may have some shortcomings, such that he had a weak memory, was known to be a liar, and so on. Hence, case in point, men have had their witness rejected due to such weaknesses.
I am with you 100% on the driving ban on women, it seems very strange to me and somewhat contradictory because women are not allowed to drive yet at the same time not allowed to be alone with strange men. However, many men in such countries employ male drivers to drive their wives and daughters around, thus they end up being alone with strange men. In response to a question about women driving Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee said: “If it is permissible for her to ride upon a (female) donkey then it is permissible for her to drive a car.” To which the questioner replied: “But there is a difference between a donkey and a car.” So the Shaykh said: “Which is more concealing - riding upon a donkey or in a car? I would suggest (riding in) a car.”
Yes, if Allaah or His Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) have forbidden something then we all, male and female, should accept and submit, but unlike the driving ban on women we are discussing an authentic and unambiguous hadeeth in which the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has said such and such about women, so likewise we should accept it and submit to it.
I actually posted what I did because of an email I received in which one sister had rejected the narrations in question based on the fact she didn’t want to accept them and submit to them, but this was largely due to her misunderstanding of them. And as you no doubt know, those who have made a business out of attacking Islam often bring fourth these and other such narrations, so I felt it was worthwhile posting what I did in order for the correct understanding of the narrations to be disseminated.
In conclusion I think it is important that the said narrations are kept in context, so I will cite some of the points in my original post that illustrate this:
“The information was given to exhort giving charity, to save oneself from the Fire. This need applies to both men and women, but he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was addressing women at this point, so he directed his address to them.”
“…the best are those who have the most taqwa, and it is not impossible that a man have less of that than his wife, and that in the end, he be only a distraction for her, in the same manners as has been explained about men’s distraction with women.”
“Allaah describes the creation of humans with descriptions that imply they are deficient, that is, they created with needs that only He can fulfil. This applies to men and women, since they are both humans. And He said: (which means):
‘Verily man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him, and stingy when good touches him, except those who pray, and those in whose wealth there is a recognised right. For the beggar who, asks…’ (Al-Ma’arij 70:19-25)
As for the traits in the case of women, they are described in the literature, not praying nor fasting during menses, being ungrateful to their husbands, etc. So similarly Allaah mentioned that humans are impatient and ungrateful, and then He said, except those who pray, and are charitable, etc, as mentioned (in the ayah) above.”
“How many women are greater than many men with respect to their intelligence, religion and proficiency.”
“A woman may perform many good deeds and exceed many men in her good deeds, her fear of Allaah and her place in the Hereafter. She may concentrate on some matters and her proficiency may be much greater than many men in many issues that concern her and in which she exerted her memory and proficiency. She may be a reference, for example, in Islamic history and many other matters. This is something very clear to anyone who pondered the state of the women during the time of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and afterwards.”
Ameen to your supplications, and may Allaah grant us the understanding of the religion and the facilitation to do what is right!
Was-salaamu ‘alaikum
Aboo Uthmaan
MashaaAllaah tabarakaaAllaah excellent clarification by the Noble Shaykh rahimullaah and Brothers barakallaaAllaahu feekum. May Allaah raise those who strive to understand this deen high in ranks and grant them tawfeeq fi dunia wal akheirah.
Salaam Aleikum,
Thank you brother for posting my views and for your reply. I do agree with what you are saying, however i don’t know if my point has come across clearly, so do forgive any misunderstandings.
What amazes me?… I should have said saddens me really. Its when women want clarification or verification on a matter (especially concerning us), we are somehow, indirectly, made to feel as though we are rejecting the ready made truth or disobedient! I mean you say in your reply…
‘As for the Muslim woman and her frustration regarding interpretations then no doubt some of her frustrations may be warranted, whereas much of her frustration may not. It could be that what she is frustrated about is something which is actually correct and true, so it does not necessitate that everything that the Muslim woman is frustrated about is justified’
‘It is also important that we do not reject the truth because it is not in line with what we want to hear’…
‘Both sexes should readily accept the truth even if it is contrary to their desires.’
Yes brother,agree, that is excaltly what i was saying in first post, that if something has been proved by the majority of scholars to be correct, then fine, we accept, we don’t want to pick and mix the deen to suit our egos, and neither do we want to reject the truth!
But why, when we ask a question does it have to mean that we are somehow not accepting, or going to accept the truth. This is what amazes/saddens me! The assumption that somehow our questioning is showing signs of rejecting the truth! it isnt, not for those of us who want to please Allah swt.
We have the Islamic Freedom to Express our views, Islam allows women this right. In the famous incident involving Omar the second Rightly- Guided Caliph. He was once severely reprimanding the people and ordering them not to set excessive amounts of dower at the time of marriage. A woman got up and shouted,
“Omar, you have no right to intervene in a matter which Allah the All-Mighty has already decreed in Quran:
“But if you intend to replace a wife by another and you have given one of them a Qintar (of gold, i.e., a great amount as Mahr bridal money), take not the least bit of it back; would you take it wrongfully without a right and (with) a manifest sin?” (V.4:20)
After being reminded of this Verse, Omar withdrew his order, saying, “I am in the wrong and she is correct.”
Yet today, our voices have been silenced! Obvioulsy i cant talk for everyone, but wanting to verify your knowledge and find its validity is not wrong is it? moreso blind following of weak opinions or cultural views and opinions would for me be worrying for me. Maybe men fear our islamic empowerment!
Yes, Islam is submission, but unless we don’t know what we are submitting to, we maybe doing it all wrong, astagfrirullah thats why clairifications are so important.
I mean just to refer back to the example of the driving ban, how many saudi women are made to believe that driving for women, is haraam? How many know it isn’t haraam, yet are oppressed by the rulers and cant drive anyway? Now if women elsewhere do not go and study and find the truth on this matter, then they may well end up believing this to be true! this oppressive injunction has the possibility of becoming globally mainstream!
Again the driving ban, is not the only example, there are many ambiguous rulings which we could fill this blog with? Im not saying these injunctions are only prevalent in saudi, no, they are global/cultural diseases which need to be destroyed. For example,
Female genital mutation,
Prohibiting women who wish to pray in the mosques from doing so,
Prohibiting women from studying,working (within shariah limits),
Prohibition on travelling alone in their locality,
Taking away womens right to inheritance
Forcing them to dress in only black or forcing upon them the niqab(especially for those of us who believe this has two opinions)
Denying them the right to choose their husbands
Denying them the right ot custody of their children
I know, that alot of this is culture, but women who are denied the education to know otherwise, are told that this is Islam, and their rejection is a sin. Yet at the time of the Prophet pbuh, women partook in battlefields nursing the wounds of men,
A woman from the tribe of Ghifar came with a large group of women to the Prophet when he was preparing to leave for the conquest of Khaibar. She said: “O Allah’s Messenger, we wish to accompany you on this journey so that we may nurse the injured and help the Muslims.” The Prophet responded, ‘Come may Allah shower His blessings upon you.’”
Umm Atiyyah an Ansari woman once said: “I have participated in seven battles with the Prophet. I used to guard the camels of the Mujahideen in their absence, cook the food, treat the injured and care for the sick.”
Muadh Bin Jabal reports that his cousin Asmaa Bint Yazid killed nine soldiers with a tent-pole during the battle of Yarmuk.
Subhanallah muslim women were so bold and allowed to do certain things, like one who worked in marketplaces as a supervisor, the Prophet pbuh his first wife was a succesfull rich business women, women were proficent in law, poetry, medicine etc. They Prayed in mosques behind men, without segregating barriers… dont recall reading women being reduced to stuffy prayer places in overcrowded claustrophobic basements or box rooms!
So what exactly is wrong now? what makes men subjugate us women to last position?
This is what i want to know. And before anyone says anything else…no….this doesnt mean that i agree with women becoming imams and leading prayer, i just want what Allah almighty allows, and what the Prophet pbuh allowed the woman of his time.
Brother, you say that men also suffer form being labelled and need to study the deen. Yes i agree, and that too should be rectified, but lets not make excuses!
It is so so much easier for a brother to find a sheik, call him, visit him, and sit with him, alone or in a brothers circle, to learn and obtain answers form. He can travel abroad alone to seek this knowledge!
How many sisters can actually say that we can sit with a female scholar and learn from her? None. because nobody ever bothered to educate women to that level so we have no real woman scholars to contact!
Its not as though we can just sit with a male scholar these days and learn, for all sorts of reasons, mainly because of the widely held views of current, that a women is a complete awrah and she must not be seen or heard! subhanallah if that was the case why were we created? Its impossible even to talk to one these days.
Yet the Prophet pbuh, adressed the women to teach them Islam so that they too had equal time to learn and know the truth.
I’m sorry if i have gone off topic, and if i have consumed your blog space, but these are just some of the issues which affect sisters, and somebody has to say enough is enough and help champion our sisters rights, rights which are allowed by Allah swt. Islam tells us that the first school for a child is its mothers lap, yet that’s the very lap that we neglect. leave uneducated about the truth, and deny its rights too.
Thank you for sharing the response to a question about women driving from Sheikh al-Albaanee, it was refreshing to read.
Jazak Allah Khayr.
Asalaamoalaikum,
In my humble opinion we need the following:
1. Women Sheikhas who have studied the original texts themselves instead of reviewing what male lecturer says or writes. After all we have a wonderful example of Ayesha RA
2. Muslim male scholars should give classes to men about all the ayahs in the Quran which underline “women should be respected and honored” not “a mindless child”.
3. Muslim women may consider marrying reverts whose Islam is pure and uncluttered by old country biases
4. Muslim mothers should raise their boys and girls equally giving favor to the one who is most righteous and most respectful.
Finally we as women have to take responsibility of how men treat us Where do they learn these habits and biases? Isnt the mother the teacher of her child from the cradle to the grave? (in muslim societies) What she teaches her son, how she behaves with the male members of her family, and how much of her knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah does she practice? is what is reflected in the men when they grow up.
I have noticed that some middle eastern young boys (preteens) are quite physically disrespectful of their mothers, and the mothers tolerate it from them but not from the daughters.
It is a major challenge, for men and women alike. Most importantly we must begin with the premise that men and women are not adversaries (like the feministic culture of the west) but “garments for each other” (Quran) to hide imperfections, to beautify and in inclement weather protect each other)
The current wars have blown open all the previously sealed borders of culture, religion and practice, so in this global free for all only those will survive who have the Quran and Sunnah in their head and heart. (Istiqama).
Please forgive me if I have hurt any one’s sensibilities, that is not the intent of this comment.
Jazaaik Allah hu Khairan.
As-salaam ‘alaykum,
Just to make it clear, I don’t think any scholar in Saudi Arabia claims that driving is harâm in of itself but rather that if driving would be permitted, it would lead to greater evils. This is according to the situation as it exists in Saudi Arabia and not necessarily a general rule. As for what Saudi women think of it, there are those that agree with it, and those that disagree with it (including very educated women) but, as far as I know, they realize that the shuyûkh have not permitted it based on what I said earlier as opposed to it being a fixed ban from the religious texts. In fact, when I had a sit-down with a sister to propose marriage, one of the questions I posed to her was regarding her thoughts about the ban on women driving and the response I received was that if it was allowed, “it would lead to greater problems”. That is not to say that I necessarily agree with the driving ban, but as I don’t live in Saudi, who am I to talk about their situation. I’ve linked my name to the explanation and justification given by Shaykh bin Baz and Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen regarding the issue (as quoted by islam-qa.com) if anyone is interested.
P.S. I totally agree with New Sis about the importance of educating women.
Walaikum salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh
Dear New Sis
I think that is one of the problems of this line of communication, much can be taken in a way other that the way it was meant, and often comments are made on something specific which should be understood in light of the full picture as opposed to the specific constraints the comment at hand was made in.
I am sorry if you are made to feel like you are rejecting the truth for merely asking questions. I hope that the original post and my subsequent comments did not come across like that, if they did, then I apologise. I would argue though that this phenomenon is not unique to the sisters.
As for expressing ones views then I am not of those who believe that Islam grants us the freedom to say whatever we want, be we male or female. I know that this is not exactly what you are getting at, so at the risk of going off topic I won’t say anymore on that. However, what I will say is that the incident you cited regarding ‘Umar (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) was reported by al-Bayhaqi and ‘Abdul-Razzaq and not only do the chains for these reports contain weak narrators they also contain broken chains, this is something that al-Bayhaqi himself mentioned about the chain that he recorded.
I agree with you that we should try our best to verify what we can to the best of our ability, but…
As Muslims our objective is to follow the truth. Our ability to ascertain the truth may vary from issue to issue and from person to person. My point is that there are issues in which we are capable of considering the evidences for and taking an opinion on and there are also issues in which we will just have to follow someone in due to our inability to consider the evidences for that particular issue. In conclusion we must be balanced and not go to extremes such as those who claim we can understand everything for ourselves but neither should we fall into the other extreme by stating that we have no ability to consider the evidence and take a position. Allaah tells us in the Qur’aan to ask those who know, those with knowledge, if we do not understand, so we should look to those scholars with a sound creed and methodology.
As for the driving ban and that specific issue then I have my opinion on it as you know, it could be right or wrong and I believe Br. Abu Musa has already posted a link so that we are able to consider the other opinion. Often with Muslims, and I am speaking very generally now, have something that they want to believe, they then go in search for the evidence that conforms to what they want to believe, no matter how little that evidence supports what they want to believe or how much they have to twist it so that it conforms to what they want to believe.
You said that you “don’t recall reading women being reduced to stuffy prayer places in overcrowded claustrophobic basements or box rooms!” I think in the spirit of fairness one should remember that according to the majority opinion it is an obligation for men to pray in the mosque, no such obligation exists for women. So if that is the case then in stands to reason why there is more room in the mosques for men to pray. It is also worth noting that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has informed us that it is better for a woman to pray in her home. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying women shouldn’t come to the mosque, for indeed they should, especially to attend the gatherings of knowledge. As for stating that men are also labeled I wasn’t making excuses, I was merely highlighting that such problems are not exclusive to women.
There are actually a number of women with knowledge, and many surpass the majority of us brothers, not only in knowledge, but in effort, piety and righteousness. And Allaah knows best! Yes, it may be easier for brothers to find and attend the beneficial gatherings of knowledge, but you should know that this is not always the case. I say this because the people of knowledge are few and far between in the West, and not everyone lives in an area that enables them to access the people of knowledge on a regular basis. However, the believer does not despair and there are now numerous online classes, in which the likes of you and I can attend and benefit from, check out:
http://www.albaseerah.org (weekly lessons with the scholars, including Q&A sessions)
http://www.dkh-islam.com (weekly lessons, mostly in hadeeth)
http://www.daruleshsaan.com (this site is run by a sister and offers a number of weekly lessons)
http://www.islamlecture.com (has numerous audio explanations of important books, together with study notes)
http://www.understand-islam.net (the website of the late Shaykh, Saleh as-Saleh, over 1000 audio lectures, explanations of books, numerous subjects)
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com (offers numerous free courses, “The Moral Foundations of Islamic Culture”, “Foundations of Islamic Studies”, “Da’wah Training Course”, “Qadar: Predestination”, Usool al-Hadeeth”, “Fiqh of Fasting”, “Funeral Rites in Islam” and “Usool at-Tafsir”)
http://www.calltoislam.com
You also have a magazine run by sisters for sisters: http://www.sisters-magazine.com
So brothers can also have just as much difficulty in studying as women, but with so much being offered for free online these days then little excuse do we have to study our religion.
May Allaah reward you!
Was-salaamu ‘alaikum
Aboo Uthmaan
Walaikum salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh
Dear Asqfish
1. I think this is a bit extreme; rather, we should strive to follow the methodology that Islam lays down with regards to how we understand Islam in the first place, that is to say upon the understanding of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions (radee Allaahu ‘anhum), the male and the female from amongst them.
2. That already happens, but yes, perhaps there is need for this subject to be more abundantly addressed
3. I am a revert myself and I have many revert friends, and as such I know that “reverts”, although they may have less cultural customs baggage, still do have “baggage”, sometimes this baggage is worse than the anti-Islamic cultural customs practiced by those who grew up in Muslim families.
Shaykh Adnan ‘Abdul-Qaadir took part in a seminar entitled “Bed of Roses” in which he delivered a number of talks regarding the Muslim home, the relationship between the husband and wife and how they manner in which they should be raising their children, perhaps they address a number of the points you made in your post above!
May Allaah reward you!
Was-salaamu ‘alaikum
Aboo Uthmaan
Jazak’Allaahu khairan as always akhee Abu Musa for your contributions!
Wa iyaakum bro. May Allâh reward you for your beneficial blog entries.
Just some clarifications…
With regard to the driving ban, I personally lean to the opinion that it seems to lead to greater evil by prohibiting it, but I’m neither an ‘âlim nor a citizen of Saudi Arabia so take my opinion for what it’s worth (i.e. nothing). For some reason though, this kind of reminds me though of the saying, “The ‘Ulamâ’ can see the fitnah before it happens, whereas the common folk can only see the fitnah after it has passed”.
As far as my comment regarding the views of Saudi women, I meant to say that there are many educated (i.e. professors, doctors, etc.) Saudi women who support the ban. I was going to link my name to the article at arabnews.com where I got that information but the site seems to be down at the moment.
I don’t mean to sound chauvinistic or anything, but I’d rather not read anything by a known modernist who admittedly lets his wife lead him in salah.
Wa iyaakum bro. May Allâh reward you for your beneficial blog entries.
Just some clarifications…
With regard to the driving ban, I personally lean to the opinion that it seems to lead to greater evil by prohibiting it, but I’m neither an ‘âlim nor a citizen of Saudi Arabia so take my opinion for what it’s worth (i.e. nothing). For some reason though, this kind of reminds me of the saying, “The ‘Ulamâ’ can see the fitnah before it happens, whereas the common folk can only see the fitnah after it has passed”.
As far as my comment regarding the views of Saudi women, I meant to say that there are many educated (i.e. professors, doctors, etc.) Saudi women who support the ban. I was going to link my name to the article at arabnews.com where I got that information but the site seems to be down at the moment.
As a side note, while in Saudi, I listened to two khutbahs while I was there. The first was about the importance of ways of husbands being good to their wives and the second was about the unislâmic nature of the terrorist acts done by some Muslim (after the salaah the khateeb openly challenged anyone with misconceptions about this issue to discuss them with him). I mention this because of the irony, since many people in the West who have misconceptions about Saudi Arabia, have them about these two issues specifically.
as-Salâm ‘alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I wanted to mention something already briefly touched on with respect to the issue of women driving. I am one who believes that there is nothing wrong with women driving, as there is nothing explicit in the Sharî’ah that prohibits it. On the contrary, we find stories and anecdotes from the Companions that suggest that it is allowed. We must realise though, that cities–or even areas within cities (not to mention entire countries) will differ with respect to the conditions and situations the society finds itself in. To quote a close friend of mine currently studying in Saudi,
Given the (horror) stories I’ve heard from Saudis or those who have lived there for some time of what goes on in the “shadows” of Saudi society, I would agree that lifting the ban at the current time would be a bad idea. Lifting the ban would be a band-aid solution to appeasing the country’s critics with respect to gender issues. What needs to be done, and Allah is more knowledgeable, is a re-evaluation of how they view segregation of the sexes and the extents at which they will enforce it. Along with that, a “re-education”, if you will, of Saudi society in gender-relations, with more sermons and lessons like the one mentioned by Abu Musa concerning husbands being good to their wives and other related topics.
As Salaamu Alaikum:
Many things in life can lead to “greater evil” if taken to the extreme. Why aren’t men forbidden from doing this or that because it might lead HIM to greater evil?
The driving thing is ridiculous. What it does is put the Muslim woman in a car with a non-mahram. Now, that’s a great solution, isn’t it? A woman alone in a car with a non-related man? I could maybe understand it if a male family member would have to do the driving.
Why do women have to pay the consquences for men behaving badly (like above comment in Saudi)?
Brother Gonzales, As far as I know Saudi Arabia is one of the safest places in the world for a woman, if we are following their rules. So if women are allowed to drive and they have a flat tire on the highway in the middle of the night and someone harms them…………guess what the shariah law says?
RE: I am becoming more and more a proponent of having a licence to speak (i.e. not speak unless one has researched the subject in depth, not just cut and paste from a line on the internet).
The Salaf used to refrain from explaining what they had no knowledge of. For instance, Ibn Jarir (At-Tabari) reported that Abu Ma’mar said that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said, “Which land will carry me and which heaven will shade me if I said about Allah’s Book that which I have no knowledge of?” [At-Tabari 1:78]
Taken from: http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3157&Itemid=578
While I agree with you completely, like you said, it can be one of the safest places in the world for women if the rules and laws are obeyed.
It’s a fact that although Saudi Arabia is the closest we have to complete implementation of the Sharî’ah, there is still much (and from the look of things, soon to be much more) it falls short in. So while I would like to have the optimism and hope that a woman who finds herself in the above described hypothetical situation may have nothing to worry about, seeing the state of our Muslim nation and the way things are and where they’re headed (with Saudi in particular), I just can’t. To Allah is the complaint, and He is al-Musta’an.