Hadith & Women

The Hadith is particularly disparaging towards women. Below are some of the most egregious Hadith from the most revered Sahih Hadith compilations, most notably Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. These narrations insult the prophet and the religion and hopefully can serve as an eye-opener to why the entire Hadith corpus needs to be discarded. This is because if these blatant, flagrant lies about the prophet went through the most rigorous method of scrutinization and were still graded as Sahih, then the entire Hadith sciences are unreliable.

Others want to pick and choose which Hadith they want to follow, yet the second someone opens the door to using Hadith as a source of law besides the Quran, then they are giving legitimacy to the entire corpus of filth that comes along with it.

The Prophet Wanted to Have Women Prostrate to their Husbands

Narrated Qays ibn Sa’d: I went to al-Hirah (South of Kūfah in south-central Iraq) and saw them (the people) prostrating themselves before a satrap (a provincial governor in the ancient Persian empire) of theirs, so I said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has most right to have prostration made before him. When I came to the Prophet (ﷺ), I said: I went to al-Hirah and saw them prostrating themselves before a satrap of theirs, but you have most right, Messenger of Allah, to have (people) prostrating themselves before you. He said: Tell me, if you were to pass my grave, would you prostrate yourself before it? I said: No. He then said: Do not do so. If I were to command anyone to make prostration before another, I would command women to prostrate themselves before their husbands because of the special right over them given to husbands by Allah.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَوْنٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنْ شَرِيكٍ، عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْحِيرَةَ فَرَأَيْتُهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ لِمَرْزُبَانٍ لَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُسْجَدَ لَهُ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ الْحِيرَةَ فَرَأَيْتُهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ لِمَرْزُبَانٍ لَهُمْ فَأَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ أَنْ نَسْجُدَ لَكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ مَرَرْتَ بِقَبْرِي أَكُنْتَ تَسْجُدُ لَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا لَوْ كُنْتُ آمِرًا أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لأَحَدٍ لأَمَرْتُ النِّسَاءَ أَنْ يَسْجُدْنَ لأَزْوَاجِهِنَّ لِمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Sunan Abi Dawud 2140
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2140

Another narration, graded as authentic (Sahih) by Al-Albani, goes into more detail regarding this supposed comment from the prophet.

It is not proper for a human being to prostrate to another human being. If it were proper for a human being to prostrate to another human being, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate to her husband because of the greatness of his right over her. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if there were a sore gushing with pus and blood from his feet to the parting of his head, and she were to come and lick it, she would not have fulfilled his right.

Narrator: Anas bin Malik
Source: Sahih Al-Jami
Page or number: 7725
Grading: Authentic (Al-Albani)

The majority of Dwellers in Hell are women

Not only does the Hadith claim that the majority of the inhabitants in Hell are women, but the reason is that they are ungrateful to their husbands.

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I was shown the Hellfire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful.” It was asked, “Do they disbelieve in Allah?” (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, “They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them, and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never received any good from you.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ أُرِيتُ النَّارَ فَإِذَا أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِهَا النِّسَاءُ يَكْفُرْنَ ‏”‏‏.‏ قِيلَ أَيَكْفُرْنَ بِاللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ يَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ، وَيَكْفُرْنَ الإِحْسَانَ، لَوْ أَحْسَنْتَ إِلَى إِحْدَاهُنَّ الدَّهْرَ ثُمَّ رَأَتْ مِنْكَ شَيْئًا قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْكَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 29
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:29
See also:
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2736
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2738a

Women are Most Deficient in Intellect & Religion

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) 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 Hellfire were you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ?” 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 Messenger (ﷺ)! 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.”

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدٌ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ أَسْلَمَ ـ عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي أَضْحًى ـ أَوْ فِطْرٍ ـ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى، فَمَرَّ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ تَصَدَّقْنَ، فَإِنِّي أُرِيتُكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقُلْنَ وَبِمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ تُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ، وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ، مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الْحَازِمِ مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ وَمَا نُقْصَانُ دِينِنَا وَعَقْلِنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَلَيْسَ شَهَادَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ مِثْلَ نِصْفِ شَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ عَقْلِهَا، أَلَيْسَ إِذَا حَاضَتْ لَمْ تُصَلِّ وَلَمْ تَصُمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِهَا ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 304
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:304
See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:79a

Women are Naturally Crooked

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness.“

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ، إِنْ أَقَمْتَهَا كَسَرْتَهَا، وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 5184
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5184

[14:2] (The path of) GOD; the One who possesses everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Woe to the disbelievers; they have incurred a terrible retribution.
[14:3] They are the ones who give priority to this life over the Hereafter, repel from the way of GOD, and seek to make it crooked; they have gone far astray.

ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَوَيْلٌ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا عَلَى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ

Women are Bad Omens

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If at all there is bad omen, it is in the horse, the woman, and the house.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِنْ كَانَ فِي شَىْءٍ فَفِي الْفَرَسِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْمَسْكَنِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 5095
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5095
See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:2226a

There is a common addendum to this Hadith that ‘Aishah objected to this narration that it was in reference to the belief of the Arabs in the days of ignorance, yet this objection is considered less reliable than the Sahih Hadiths found in both Bukhari and Muslim regarding this narration. We read from the book “Authentication of Hadith, Redefining the Criteria” (Israr Ahmad Khan) p.70

“When this tradition was brought to the notice of ‘A’ishah, she corrected the report stating that the Prophet had actually said: “Arabs of the period of ignorance and the Jews used to say that the woman, the house, and the animal were the source of bad luck.” ‘A’ishah even made the observation that the reporter of the tradition had not heard the first part of the Prophetic statement. (See Al-Zarkashi, Badr al-DÏn, Al- Ijabah, Sa’id al-Afghani, ed. (Beirut: Al-Maktab al-Islami, 1980), pp.103–104.) Ibn Hajar finds the report narrating ‘A’ishah’s comment defective due to some defect in the chain of narrators. But when he finds himself facing some authentic reports narrating ‘A’ishah’s observation, he concludes that ‘A’ishah’s interpretation is too far-fetched in relation to so highly authentic a tradition as that recorded by al-BukhharÏ. While negating the approach of ‘A’ishah, Ibn Hajar says that the Prophet should not have made it (the idea of bad omen) as an information related to superstitious belief of the people of Arabia before Islam.” See Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari: Sharh Sahih al-BukhharÏ, vol.6, p.76.

Virgin Consent & Tricking Someone to Marriage

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A virgin should not be married till she is asked for her consent; and the matron should not be married till she is asked whether she agrees to marry or not.” It was asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! How will she (the virgin) express her consent?” He said, “By keeping silent.” Some people said that if a virgin is not asked for her consent and she is not married, and then a man, by playing a trick presents two false witnesses that he has married her with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage as a true one, and the husband knows that the witnesses were false ones, then there is no harm for him to consummate his marriage with her and the marriage is regarded as valid.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ لاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ، وَلاَ الثَّيِّبُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ إِذْنُهَا قَالَ ‏”‏ إِذَا سَكَتَتْ ‏”‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِنْ لَمْ تُسْتَأْذَنِ الْبِكْرُ وَلَمْ تَزَوَّجْ‏.‏ فَاحْتَالَ رَجُلٌ فَأَقَامَ شَاهِدَىْ زُورٍ أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِرِضَاهَا، فَأَثْبَتَ الْقَاضِي نِكَاحَهَا، وَالزَّوْجُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ بَاطِلَةٌ، فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَطَأَهَا، وَهْوَ تَزْوِيجٌ صَحِيحٌ‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 6968
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6968

Sex Slaves are Permissable

Narrated Ibn Muhairiz: I saw Abu Said and asked him about coitus interruptus. Abu Said said, “We went with Allah’s Apostle, in the Ghazwa of Bani Al-Mustaliq, and we captured some of the ‘Arabs as captives, and the long separation from our wives was pressing us hard, and we wanted to practice coitus interruptus. We asked Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (whether it was permissible). He said, “It is better for you not to do so. No soul, (that which Allah has) destined to exist, up to the Day of Resurrection, but will definitely come, into existence.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ مُحَيْرِيزٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي غَزْوَةِ بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَأَصَبْنَا سَبْيًا مِنْ سَبْىِ الْعَرَبِ، فَاشْتَهَيْنَا النِّسَاءَ فَاشْتَدَّتْ عَلَيْنَا الْعُزْبَةُ وَأَحْبَبْنَا الْعَزْلَ، فَسَأَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ مَا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ لاَ تَفْعَلُوا، مَا مِنْ نَسَمَةٍ كَائِنَةٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ إِلاَّ وَهْىَ كَائِنَةٌ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 2542
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2542

Cursed By Angels if Refuse Husband’s Sexual Advances

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning.“

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِذَا دَعَا الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَأَبَتْ، فَبَاتَ غَضْبَانَ عَلَيْهَا، لَعَنَتْهَا الْمَلاَئِكَةُ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ ‏”‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ شُعْبَةُ وَأَبُو حَمْزَةَ وَابْنُ دَاوُدَ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 3237
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3237

Husbands Should Not Go Home At Night after a Journey Until…

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If you enter (your town) at night (after coming from a journey), do not enter upon your family till the woman whose husband was absent (from the house) shaves her pubic hair and the woman with unkempt hair, combs her hair” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) further said, “(O Jabir!) Seek to have offspring, seek to have offspring!”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ إِذَا دَخَلْتَ لَيْلاً فَلاَ تَدْخُلْ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ حَتَّى تَسْتَحِدَّ الْمُغِيبَةُ وَتَمْتَشِطَ الشَّعِثَةُ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالْكَيْسِ الْكَيْسِ ‏”‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ وَهْبٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْكَيْسِ‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 5246
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5246

Adult Male Suckling

Zainab daughter of Abu Salama reported: I heard Umm Salama, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him), saying to ‘A’isha: By Allah, I do not like to be seen by a young boy who has passed the period of fosterage, whereupon she (‘A’isha) said: Why is it so? Sahla, daughter of Suhail, came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah’s Messenger, I swear by Allah that I see in the face of Abu Hudhaifa (the signs of disgust) on account of entering of Salim (in the house), whereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Suckle him. She (Sahla bint Suhail) said: He has a beard. But he (again) said: Suckle him, and it would remove what is there (expression of disgust) on the face of Abu Hudhaifa. She said: (I did that) and, by Allah, I did not see (any sign of disgust) on the face of Abu Hudhaifa.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، وَهَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لِهَارُونَ – قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي مَخْرَمَةُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ حُمَيْدَ بْنَ نَافِعٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ زَيْنَبَ، بِنْتَ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقُولُ لِعَائِشَةَ وَاللَّهِ مَا تَطِيبُ نَفْسِي أَنْ يَرَانِي الْغُلاَمُ قَدِ اسْتَغْنَى عَنِ الرَّضَاعَةِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ لِمَ قَدْ جَاءَتْ سَهْلَةُ بِنْتُ سُهَيْلٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرَى فِي وَجْهِ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ مِنْ دُخُولِ سَالِمٍ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ أَرْضِعِيهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ ذُو لِحْيَةٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ أَرْضِعِيهِ يَذْهَبْ مَا فِي وَجْهِ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا عَرَفْتُهُ فِي وَجْهِ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 1453e
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1453e